Song of the Twins
by Lionessa
Summary: Lion-O finds his long-lost twin sister in this fic.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE:

It was a fine spring afternoon on New ThunDera and a young lioness is sunning herself by a rushing brook in a remote forest. Her thick scarlet mane trailed across her shoulders as she lay on her stomach, trailing a finger through the water. She wore no clothing, save for a pair of dark brown boots and a body suit that matched her fur colors of cream and white. A belt of dark brown leather circled her slim waist. Her eyes, a rich topaz in color, were thoughtful as she studied her reflection in the water. She had started out wearing a dress of light purple years ago, but had shed the clothing upon landing on a foster planet and discovering she had outgrown it while in suspension. Baroness Rella had had to teach her everything once the young lioness got out of suspension and that had been difficult at best. No one knew why Lioness-A had grown, but they had suspected a malfunction.

"This is proving to be a slow day," the lioness murmured to herself, rising to her feet. "Ah, well, I like it this way," she added. "Lioness-A, you know now what you have got to do and so let's go," she went on quietly, thinking back to a long-forgotten time.

***************

_It was a slow afternoon at Cat's Lair in the capital city of Calora. Lord Claud-Us was in his office taking care of paperwork while Snarf watched his two cubs, Lion-O and Lioness-A, both aged seven, play in a playroom up the hall. Suddenly, the quietness is broken by a shrill scream. Claud-Us leaps to his feet and heads toward the playroom to find Snarf unconscious and a cougar carrying off his daughter while another cougar tried to catch his son._

_"Lion-O! Over here my son!" Claud-Us called out, which startled the kidnappers. Lion-O ran over to his father and hid behind him. Claud-Us turned to see if he was all right and then turned to the cougar holding Lioness-A._

_"Drop her and we'll go easy on you," Claud-Us growled even as Jaga and Bernados arrived behind him._

_"Lion-O go wait in the conference room. We'll take care of this," Bernados said to the frightened cub, who nodded and took off. Meanwhile, the cougar holding Lioness-A had refused to give up his prize and he was clearly not going to leave without her._

_"Baron Ternas wants her to live with him and his mate and there's nothing you can do about it!" the cougar snarled. "Your mate promised Baroness Rella that one of your cubs would go to her for fostering two years ago. Or have you forgotten?" the cougar asked as Claud-Us gasped. Behind him, Jaga and Bernados looked at each other with worry clearly evident on their faces._

_"Daddy help me!" Lioness-A cried out._

_"What can I say," Claud-Us said dejectedly. "Leave her here for a few days and I will send word to you when she is ready," he added as the cougar handed Lioness-A over to Jaga standing nearby._

_"We will be back with the baron," the cougar added as he and his companion withdrew from the room. Claud-Us walked over to his daughter to make sure she was all right about the time Lion-O ran back into the room. Snarf by then, was slowly coming awake._

_"Lion-O and Lioness-A stay here with Snarf and make sure he's okay. Then come to my office," Claud-Us said to the cubs, who nodded quietly. "Jaga, Bernados, come with me."_

_Once in his office, Claud-Us sat down at his large desk and sighed. He then looked to a picture that had him, his mate Claudana, and the twins taken a year before Claudana had died._

_"Claud-Us what is this fostering that cougar was talking about?" Jaga asked._

_"Claudana and Baroness Rella were best friends before Claudana and I married. They always said that they would remain in constant touch with each other and after Claudana died two years ago, Rella told me that Claudana had said that Rella could foster one of our cubs once they were old enough to be separated. I didn't like it, but then I didn't have much choice. Lioness-A will have to leave here to go to Baroness Rella. There's nothing I can do to prevent it. Lion-O must remain here for his lordship training," Claud-Us said and sighed._

_Some two weeks later, after many tears and good-byes, Lioness-A was sent to the Cougar Clan home in Bersona. Those first few weeks were horrible away from her family but time had taken care of that. The explosion of ThunDera five years later didn't help matters any further, since Lioness-A knew that she had lost her family forever. _

************

That had been one rough time, Lioness-A reflected as she hiked through the woods back to where the Baroness had made camp earlier in the week. Lioness-A was hoping the baroness would let her go to find her twin and anyone else of her family that was still alive. Besides, for some unknown reason, she was seeing things that didn't quite fit with what she was used to seeing. They were visions of someone she couldn't see but appeared to be in constant communion with him. She wanted to know more about these visions and who the mysterious male was.

Once in the camp, Lioness-A went to the tent where Baroness Rella was inside. She stooped under the tent flap and went inside.

"Lioness-A, you're back already. How was your walk dear?" Rella asked. She was reclining on a couch set up in a corner of the tent. Her features were of the cougar clan with a thick brown mane with black tips. She was dressed in a gown of light green with a wide violet belt.

"I'm fine Rella, but I was wondering if you could help me with something," Lioness-A said as she sat down on a cushion.

"What would that be?" Rella questioned her gently. She knew something was bothering the young lioness and had wondered what it was.

"Well, I keep having visions of someone that I can't see but he seems to be a part of me somehow. I want to find out who he is and how he's related to me," Lioness-A said as the baroness blinked in surprise. She decided then to tell Lioness-A what she knew of Lioness-A's history.

"Lioness-A, the young man you keep sharing visions with is none other than your twin brother Lion-O. You already know that you are Lord Claud-Us' daughter, but you didn't know about your twin brother. I believe he is the Lord of the Thundercats now," Rella said gently and watched Lioness-A's face for a reaction. It wasn't long in coming.

"My twin brother?" Lioness-A asked incredulously. Rella smiled and nodded. "Unbelievable. Where can I find him Rella?" Lioness-A asked then.

"You may be able to find him at the new Cat's Lair in the rebuilt city of Calora. Go Lioness-A. Go find your brother and the keys to your past. I release you from your fosterage," Rella said softly reaching down to pick up a small bag from the floor. She handed it to Lioness-A who took it with an odd look on her face.

"What's this?" she asked opening the pouch to find a locket inside. Upon opening the locket, she found two pictures inside. One was of her mother and the other was of her father. Both looked young, happy and in love.

"Those are your parents Lioness-A. Lion-O, your twin brother, resembles your father," Rella said softly. "Take it with you and show it to Lion-O when you see him," she added. "Go now." Lioness-A got up and gently hugged the old Thunderian and quietly left her tent to begin packing for the long journey ahead of her.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO:

Lioness-A strolled along the pathway through the woods, confident of her hopes that she would soon see her twin brother again.

About an hour later, Lioness-A came to the outskirts of Calora and saw the Cat's Lair in the middle near a valley of stone giants.

"There it is and hopefully that's where my brother is," Lioness-A said with a smile.

************

Back at the Cat's Lair in Calora, Lion-O was in the control room looking over a few monitors when Cheetara walked in the room. She noticed right away that something was bothering him and decided to ask him about it.

"Something bothering you Lion-O?" Cheetara asked him gently, laying a hand on his shoulder. Lion-O looked up and his golden eyes met hers.

"I feel like something's wrong Cheetara, but I don't know what it is," Lion-O said and sighed.

"Do you have any clues about why you feel this way?" Cheetara asked him. Lion-O looked at her for a moment before answering.

"There's someone I feel like I'm connected to but I can't seem to see her. I can only see the things around her and that's what is confusing me," Lion-O answered.

"Are you sure that it is a she?" Cheetara asked him.

"I am Cheetara, because of the feminine nature of the visions I keep experiencing. But who it could be is bothering me," Lion-O replied. Cheetara grew thoughtful then as she remembered something from long ago.

**************

_It is a quiet September morning and everyone within Cat's Lair is asleep. Well, not everyone for Lord Claud-Us and his friend Jaga and Claud-Us' father, Cristoforo, are in the council room waiting on word from the sick bay about news of an heir that was due to arrive at any time. _

_About then, the council doors slid open admitting Shella, one of Soberos' nurses. She is excited and the three men quickly rise to their feet._

_"How is Claudana?" Claud-Us quickly asked her._

_"She and the twin cubs are doing just fine my lord," Shella said as Claud-Us sank into his chair in shock._

_"Did you say twins?" Cristoforo asked Shella who nodded._

_"Yes, a boy and a girl. Both are fine and they both weigh over five pounds each. Claudana wants Claud-Us to come see her," Shella said as Claud-Us shakily rose to his feet to follow her._

_Once in sick bay, Claud-Us was escorted back to sick bay to see his new family. He smiled at his mate as he walked over to the basket, which held the tiny newborn twins. Both of them resembled both he and Claudana and they had scarlet fuzz crowning their tiny foreheads. Soberos, the head healer, picked one up and allowed Claud-Us to hold the cub._

_"This one is the male my lord. He was born first with the female three minutes later," Soberos said as Claud-Us cradled the tiny cub in his arms._

_"What will you name them my love?" Claudana asked tiredly from the bed. Claud-Us turned toward her and smiled._

_"I'll name him Lion-O and the female Lioness-A. Will those names suit you?" Claud-Us asked as she nodded. _

************

Cheetara realized then that the visions that Lion-O kept getting were from none other than his long-lost twin sister, Lioness-A. She wondered how Lioness-A could have survived the explosion of ThunDera and where the young lioness had ended up. What she didn't know was that those questions would soon be answered.

***********

Meanwhile, Lioness-A had reached the outskirts of Calora and was walking through the streets trying to find the road that would take her to the Cat's Lair, when she chanced to run into a male red tiger headed the other way.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed as she hit the ground. The tiger looked apologetic.

"Sorry about that miss," he said as he extended a hand to her. "Here, let me help you up."

"Thanks," Lioness-A said and studied him closely. He was a Thundercat and wore a light blue uniform and had an insignia on his chest. _'I wonder if he knows Lion-O,'_ she thought. "Your name is?" she asked.

"It's Tygra. And yours would be?" Tygra asked her as he studied her closely.

"Lioness-A," she replied. Tygra blinked at the name. The name sounded like the name of Lion-O's missing twin sister who had disappeared when the twins were seven. Claud-Us had said that she had gone off for some specific training, but she never returned except for one time when the twins were eight. Jaga thought that she would be returned to the Cat's Lair before Thundera exploded and a place was saved for her on the royal flagship. She never made it to either the lair or the flagship and everyone assumed she was lost forever.

Tygra sighed at the memories and studied the young lioness again. She looked a lot like the missing twin, with cream colored fur and white markings. Her mane was a shade darker than Lion-O's. He took a chance in that it was her and decided to take her to Cat's Lair. It was the least he could do for her.

_'Lioness-A certainly has grown up well. I wonder where she's been all this time_,' Tygra mused thoughtfully to himself. Aloud, he said, "Let me escort you to Cat's Lair." Lioness-A smiled and nodded and fell into step with him. Tygra watched her from the corner of his eye. She somehow reminded him of Lady Claudana, who was the mother of Lion-O and Lioness-A.

Once at the Lair, Tygra led Lioness-A inside to find something to eat for supper in the main dining room. He left her there and went to attend to some business elsewhere in the Lair. Lioness-A hadn't been in the dining room long when Cheetara arrived followed by Pumyra. Both women studied the young lioness for a moment and went to get their plates of food from the serving line. They took seats at a different table across the room. Cheetara and Pumyra were soon quietly holding a conversation and Lioness-A, a few feet away, couldn't hear what they were saying. She was clearly nervous about being here and not knowing anyone.

_'No one's stopping to greet me. But then again, I'm not that recognizable to any of them. Cheetara does look familiar but I'm not sure who the puma is that's with her. Tygra was easy to recognize. Ah, here comes a few more. Maybe Lion-O's with them,'_ Lioness-A thought to herself as she quietly ate her meal. The next few people that entered the dining room were a jaguar, an elderly lynx, two mixed kittens, and a lion with a flowing red mane. She recognized the two kittens, but the other three were unfamiliar.

"Hey Lion-O! Come join us over here!" Cheetara called to the lion who smiled.

Lioness-A blinked. So this was her twin brother! He did look like their father with tan fur and peach markings but wore an outfit of light blue with a belt to match it. Lion-O, at one point found himself glancing over to the next table where a female lioness was sitting alone and away from everyone else. For some reason she looked familiar but he couldn't figure out how.

After supper, Lioness-A had stepped outside for some fresh air. 'I hope Lion-O recognizes me sometime soon. There are some important things that I need to tell him. He's the only family I have and I don't want to lose him like before,' Lioness-A thought as she stared up at a clear sky with the thin sliver of the First Moon of PlunDarr shining above.

Back inside the lair, Lion-O was in his office when Tillen stuck his head inside the door.

"You got a moment Lion-O?" he asked. "There's something that you might need to know." Lion-O nodded and beckoned Tillen inside. Tillen was Jaga's nephew and had been trained to become Lion-O's advisor once he was old enough. With the reformation of New ThunDera, he had returned and had taken up his post as Lion-O's advisor along with Lynx-O and Tygra.

"So what is it that you have to tell me?" he asked as he relaxed in his chair.

"There's someone who just arrived here that needs to be tested to become a Thundercat," Tillen began as Lion-O's eyes narrowed. "She said that she was born one, but hasn't trained as one in a while. And she wants to be readmitted into the Thundercats society. Tygra escorted her in this afternoon. From what he said, she was looking for the lair and asked questions about it on the way here."

"Who?" Lion-O asked, his curiosity aroused. _'Could it be that red maned lioness I saw at supper? She looked scared and alone sitting there,'_ Lion-O wondered.

"Her name is Lioness-A and she's twenty-four years old. She was born into the Thundercat standing and has the skills necessary, but according to her, they're rusty. She wishes to compete in the Thundercat trials next week," Tillen said as Lion-O nodded thoughtfully.

"Any thoughts as to which lion tribe she's from?" Lion-O asked. Tillen shook his head. "Hmm, go ahead and put her down for the trials and get Snarfer or Snarf to find a room for her here if they haven't done so already."

"Will do Lion-O," Tillen said. He stopped as something occurred to him. "I might want to add that Tygra wishes to sponsor the lioness if no one else will." Lion-O blinked and nodded.

"Tell him to go ahead and sponsor her. He escorted her here, he should have the privilege," Lion-O said as Tillen nodded.

Lion-O gazed off into the distance after Tillen left, thinking of the young lioness and wondered what her connection to the Thundercats was. He would soon find out.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE:

The following morning, Lioness-A awoke in her new room and let out a huge yawn. Climbing out of bed, she trotted over to the window to look outside at a beautiful sunrise.

_'This place is great. Wonder what will be happening today? Hope it's the beginning of the Thundercat trials,'_ Lioness-A thought as she headed for her bathroom.

********

Across the Lair on the other side, Lion-O was also waking up and thinking of the young lioness on the other side of the Lair. Snarf had told him last night that she looked familiar but even he couldn't place her.

_'That would be the case. Although, Snarf is about forty years old and has been with me for a long time,'_ Lion-O thought as he headed for his bathroom. _'Hopefully the answer will show itself after these anointment trials end this week and we'll know who she actually is. I'm going crazy not knowing who she is and these glimpses aren't helping,'_ Lion-O observed silently to himself while he showered and dressed.

*********

Later that morning, Lioness-A was outside the Lair warming up for her first trial. There were about forty or so others also warming up outside at various locations around the courtyard. Lioness-A had chosen to warm up by herself.

From the upstairs council room Lion-O watched the warm-ups with some apprehension. At the end of the week he had to anoint those who had passed the trials Thundercats. Hopefully one of those would be Lioness-A.

**********

The trials got underway later that morning at the tournament grounds outside Calora. The first event was a race among the cheetahs and pumas who were the fastest among the Thunderian tribes. Two from the cheetah group and two from the puma group won and were allowed to pass on to the next phase. The next trial involved the lions and cougars together. It was a trial of endurance and amazingly, Lioness-A won along with two cougars and a male lion.

_'Hmm, that was easy,' _Lioness-A thought as she looked up toward the grandstands. Somewhere up there was her brother and she hoped she would be reunited with him soon.

"Let's take a break before the next trial gets underway," called the announcer as Lioness-A made her way to a holding area for the winners.

*************

Back up in the grandstands, Tillen and Lion-O were watching the proceedings along with most of the Thundercats who were seated below the judging area.

"That lioness is strong Lion-O," Tillen observed from his seat next to Lion-O in the judge's box above the tournament grounds. "That endurance test would break almost anyone." Lynx-O's ears twitched, a sign that he was thinking the same thing and something else.

"He's right Lion-O. There is something about this lioness that allows her to do this. It may have something to do with the tribe she's from," Lynx-O observed quietly.

"That may be true Lynx-O, but we need to see what else she can do before we decide. There's something familiar about her," Lion-O said and turned to continue watching the trials going on below.

**********

By the end of the week, it was obvious that Lioness-A had what it took to be a Thundercat. She won all the trials and had a few tricks up her sleeve that no one knew about except her. These along with her cunning and her wits helped her become one the ones to be anointed.

The day of the anointing ceremony dawned bright and sunny and Lion-O was in his bedchamber getting ready. Tillen was there along with Snarf who was helping Lion-O get dressed in the royal ensemble.

"This has been a wild week and Tygra's quite proud of Lioness-A. He was honored to be her sponsor and I think she welcomed his advice," Tillen said as Snarf handed Lion-O the deep purple cloak to put over his white tunic and breeches. A slim black belt with the Thundercat insignia was fastened across Lion-O's waist and on the bed was the silver brooch that had a silver lion embedded on a purple background waiting to fasten the cloak. Black boots rounded out the attire.

"Here's the brooch Lion-O. Turn around and let me get a good look at you, snarf, snarf," Snarf said as Lion-O fastened the cloak at his left shoulder. The Sword of Omens and Claw Shield were already on his left thigh.

"It has been interesting and I think Lioness-A will enjoy having her Thundercat status again," Lion-O murmured as he turned around for Snarf. Lynx-O arrived then to say that the ceremony was ready to begin. The group headed for the main hall where everyone else was anxiously waiting.

"Will everyone who passed the trials please come forward at this time?" Tillen called out. Everyone came forward wearing a uniform except for Lioness-A who didn't have one, oddly enough. She wondered why. Tygra hadn't told her a thing except to show up for the anointing ceremony where her questions would be answered. Lion-O proudly anointed each of the others waiting and they were allowed to leave for a celebration going on in the courtyard. Tygra caught Lioness-A and had her remain behind because he now knew who she really was and it was time she was reunited with her brother.

"Lioness-A would you come here please?" Tygra asked her gently. "Everyone else gather around for a bit of surprising news," he added as the others looked confused, Lion-O in particular. As they did so, Tygra cleared his throat for the surprising announcement to come.

"This is Lioness-A, daughter of Lord Claud-Us and Lady Claudana," Tygra announced as Lion-O blinked in shock. Everyone else looked surprised. "Her uniform was with the original Thundercats when Jaga gave us ours aboard the spaceship. I was the only one he told of its existence. I think he thought that she would be allowed to join us on the flagship when Old ThunDera was destroyed. However, because she wasn't with us, the uniform has since been saved for Lioness-A's return to the Thundercats. I found it late last week and I have it with me. Lion-O?" Tygra asked.

"I'm stunned," was all Lion-O managed to get out before Lioness-A broke protocol and ran to hug him. "Oh sis, it is good to see you again! I missed you!" he cried out as they hugged tightly. Cheetara and Wilykit had tears in their eyes and Snarf was sniffling into a handkerchief that Snarfer handed him.

"I missed you too Lion-O. Anoint me so I can always be with you," Lioness-A whispered. Lion-O proudly did so and her uniform appeared. A purple bodysuit, gray leggings, and purple boots along with leather armbands and a leather belt soon appeared. "Who are the new ones?" Lioness-A asked, indicating Lynx-O, Pumyra and Bengali.

"These are my friends, Lynx-O, Pumyra, and Bengali. They wish to be your friends too," Lion-O told her as the others came up for a hug. One was Wilykit and the other was Cheetara. Snarf was the last one and he was sobbing. Lioness-A hugged him tight.

"Oh Lioness-A! You look great! Where has Rella been hiding you?" Snarf asked.

"She's camped outside the settlement on the other side of Calora," Lioness-A answered. "As to where I've been, it's a long story."

"How did you find me?" Lion-O asked. "Or better yet, how did you know who I was?"

"I didn't know Lion-O. Rella told me to come here to Calora because she knew you might be at the lair here. But this helped a lot," Lioness-A said gently. She removed the locket she wore from around her neck and presented it to Lion-O. "Open this and see what you think."

Lion-O opened the locket and found himself staring at two pictures inside of a male and female of the lion race. They both had scarlet manes and one had topaz eyes and the other's were golden in color. What was even more interesting was the fact that the male was Lord Claud-Us, Lion-O's father. He had a vague clue who the female was, but she looked like Lioness-A standing nearby.

"Who's the female?" Lion-O asked, his voice cracking.

"Our mother, Lady Claudana," Lioness-A replied, her own voice softening. "Does this explain those visions?"

"Yes it does explain those visions I kept getting there for a while," Lion-O observed softly.

"Oh, Lion-O, you don't know how long I have waited for this day! And for us to finally reunite, is more than I can possibly say," Lioness-A whispered. Everyone began talking then.

"I don't believe it!" Panthro exclaimed. He too, went over and gave her a hug. Tygra, Cheetara, Wilykat and Wilykit followed him. Pumyra, Bengali and Lynx-O quietly hung back. Lion-O explained some things to them.

"Lioness-A and I been apart from each other ever since we were seven years old. She only just now returned home," Lion-O explained.

"Your voice sounded familiar Lioness-A and I now know why," Lynx-O said then. "You have your mother's voice in yours and I know that she would be very proud of both of you," he added as the twins smiled. By then, they had regrouped in the council room.

"Thank you Lynx-O and I hope to get to know everyone here over the next several days. But I will say this, being back with Lion-O is more than I ever can say," Lioness-A added as she smiled at her brother. Cheetara, standing nearby, smiled to herself. She had known that one day that Lion-O and Lioness-A would soon get back together.

It was about that time that Soros, the resident healer, arrived, carrying a disc in one hand. He looked from Lion-O to Lioness-A and nodded in satisfaction.

"This disc has some information for both Lion-O and Lioness-A. I think they would like to view it," Soros said as he popped the disc into a recorder. The disc produced a birth record on a nearby screen for Lion-O and Lioness-A. As they viewed it, they realized that there was no denying the fact that they were twins. The birth record went as follows:

**************

Type of birth: Twins

Names: Lion-O and Lioness-A. Sexes: Male and Female

Date born: September 12, 4430

Time born: Lion-O at 5:45 a.m. and Lioness-A at 5:48 a.m.

Weight at birth: Lion-O: 5 pounds 6 ounces. Lioness-A: 5 pounds 3 ounces

Parents: father: Claud-Us; mother: Claudana

Attending Healers: Soberos and Shella

* * *

"As you can see from the birth record, Lion-O and Lioness-A are indeed twins. I was there in April when Shella gave Lady Claudana and Lord Claud-Us the news that they were expecting twin cubs. It was quite a surprise for both of them," Soros noted as he watched the twins.

"How did the birth for Lady Claudana go?" Pumyra asked. Lioness-A blinked and looked over at her oddly. Pumyra saw the look and said to Lioness-A, "I'm a practicing healer Lioness-A. These things just strike my curiosity," she added as Lioness-A smiled. "Please continue Soros," Pumyra said to the healer who nodded.

"The birth went surprisingly easy for one of Lady Claudana's size and weight. It was a bit long but that's to be expected with twins," Soros answered as he studied Lioness-A. "Lioness-A resembles her mother almost perfectly," he added and went on, "Lady Claudana's contractions started early on the night of September eleventh and continued on until Lion-O arrived at the time you see indicated. Lioness-A arrived a mere three minutes later. It was a surprisingly painless delivery and she had carried the twins well until that time," Soros said.

"There's something interesting about that night that I recall as well," Lynx-O observed from his corner chair. "If I remember right, there was a terrible storm that same night, but it cleared early in the morning about the time the signal appeared to announce the arrival of a heir," Lynx-O added.

"How true that is Lynx-O. I remember that storm keeping me awake for most of that night," Cheetara said from where she sat next to Lion-O. Lioness-A, on the other side of him, looked down at the table for a minute and then raised her head. When she did, Lion-O saw her tears.

"Does anyone happen to have a holophoto of my mother somewhere that I can take a look at?" she asked. "I hardly remember her and being where I was, I never heard anything about Lion-O or Father," she added. Lion-O rubbed her back gently.

"I'll be back," Cheetara said softly and quietly left the room. When she returned a few minutes later, she carried a holophoto recorder in one hand and a disc in the other. She laid both on the table in front of Lioness-A and sat back down.

"What is this?" Lion-O asked studying the disc.

"Put it in and see," Cheetara said softly. "It has something Lioness-A wants to see," she added as Lion-O slipped the disc into the slot. What followed that was a series of pictures depicting Lady Claudana with Lord Claud-Us on dates around the Thunderian countryside. There were also several shots of her at her wedding to Lord Claud-Us with Jaga present. Lion-O could also see a young Cheetara, Panthro and Tygra present as well. Their mother's wedding gown was a lovely white silk with matching veil and their father wore the royal ensemble. Both looked very happy and very much in love with one another. Still more pictures of the two on the royal tour and at their apartment in the main Cat's Lair in Calora followed those. There were also a few shots of her pregnant with the twins and one of her and Claud-Us with them a month after the twins were born. Lioness-A could barely see herself and Lion-O, wrapped up in blankets as they were. There was also a couple of birthday party shots, including the twins' fifth birthday which had been taken the month before Lady Claudana had died of a devastating illness. When the disc had finished playing the pictures, Lion-O ejected the disc and laid it on the table, his eyes lost in thought.

"Incredible," Pumyra murmured quietly. "Your parents must have loved each other very much Lioness-A," she noted softly as Lioness-A smiled softly.

"They did and Baroness Rella told me that Mother had fallen in love with Father not because of his position and power, but because of his kindness and compassion," Lioness-A said her eyes lost in thought.

"Who's Baroness Rella?" Lynx-O asked. "The name sounded familiar from somewhere."

"She's Baron Ternas' mate," Lioness-A replied. "I was sent to them for fostering when Lion-O and I turned seven years old. She and Mother were best of friends growing up in Wizzara," she added. "Mother had promised her that one of her children would go to her for fostering if anything should happen to Mother," Lioness-A said as her voice cracked slightly.

"Ah, I see," Lion-O murmured. "Father never did tell me where you went Lioness-A and I think I understand why now," he added.

"It was to protect us from harm," Lioness-A answered. "He thought it was for the better and in a small way, he may have been right."

"True," Lion-O conceded, "but the reasons for it still escape me. After you left, Father put me through some rigorous schooling in order to be prepared to rule ThunDera. He lost his sight two years later in a mutant attack," Lion-O added, his voice thick with emotion. Lioness-A's eyes closed in pain. Lion-O placed his hand on her shoulder and gently rubbed her back. "I'm just glad you're here with me now," Lion-O added as Lioness-A raised her head to meet his gentle eyes. Lioness-A smiled and gave her twin a hug.

***********

It had also been discovered that Lioness-A had a gift for music and could play a flute with ease. She could play almost anything and late one evening at a special dance, Lion-O asked her to play a song he and Cheetara could dance to. Lioness-A smiled and complied with the request. Lion-O had told her of his love for Cheetara and that Cheetara returned the feelings with equal strength. Lioness-A wished them the best and hoped that she could find someone like that as well.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR:

Late one afternoon several months later, Lion-O went looking for his sister and found her in her paint room, which held paintings that she had drawn while away from Lion-O and some that were recent pictures, including one of him and Cheetara together. Lion-O blinked as soon as he saw it. His twin had a reputation building because of her unique artwork and Lion-O could see why everyone wanted her to paint something for them.

"When did you finish that one?" he asked his twin. She smiled and continued working on the painting that was set up on her easel. A paint-stained smock covered her uniform as she worked. Lion-O walked over to get a closer look at the sketch she was working and noticed that it was one of their father as she remembered him. "That's beautiful sis. He looks so real," Lion-O said softly.

"Thanks Lion-O," Lioness-A replied as she paused to study her work closely. "The one of you and Cheetara I finished yesterday before I went on shift in the control room. It's been drying since last night," Lioness-A said walking over to survey the picture. "That one of Father is almost finished," she added as Lion-O walked around the room studying the various pictures.

"Cheetara didn't give you the idea for the one of us together, did she?" Lion-O asked. His twin grinned. "I thought so," Lion-O murmured.

"You'll have to thank her for it," Lioness-A told him as Lion-O sighed. "She wants everyone to know that you're already taken. I was only too happy to do the picture for her," she added as Lion-O smiled faintly. "Besides, unless I miss my guess, you two are very much in love and can't wait to wed," she added as Lion-O blushed furiously.

"How'd you guess that?" Lion-O asked. "I haven't said anything about it to anyone yet."

"I can read your mind Lion-O. It doesn't take much for me to do that," Lioness-A said as Lion-O blinked. "We're twin bonded Lion-O and this is one of those things that we can pick up from each other. You can probably read my mind too if you try hard enough," she added as Lion-O studied her thoughtfully.

"I would if I could Lioness-A but something's blocking me," Lion-O said as he spread his hands in confusion. "You can read my mind but I don't know how to do that with yours. I guess it comes from being in that suspension capsule for ten years," Lion-O added as Lioness-A walked over to lay her hands in his.

"Let's see what we can do about that Lion-O," she whispered. Lion-O eyed her nervously. "Don't worry Lion-O. All I'm going to do is wake your end of the twin bond up enough so you'll be able to pick up what I'm feeling and we'll be able to talk mind to mind with each other. It's fairly simple and easy. So just hold on to me and let your mind go blank," Lioness-A whispered as Lion-O closed his eyes and let his mind go blank. He felt an odd feeling as Lioness-A entered his mind and gently began the process of waking his end of the twin bond up from its long sleep. Once that was done, he began picking up memories from his twin who was full of love for her brother. He smiled and sent her some memories of him in the Shadow world rescuing their father from the Shadowmaster. Lioness-A's eyes were full of tears as she watched her brother battle the Shadowmaster and finally free their father from his prison.

_*I wish I could see Father again Lion-O,* Lioness-A's voice whispered through his mind. *I miss him so much,*_ she added, the pain evident in her voice. They broke the connection a minute later, happier and more bonded than they were before.

"I think I know a way for you to see Father, Lioness-A. Come with me and I'll show you," Lion-O said as he led Lioness-A to the Hall of Omens where the Sword of Omens and Book of Omens rested on their pedestal. Lioness-A looked around the chamber in wonder. Lion-O meanwhile had picked up the Sword of Omens from its holder and was looking from it toward the Book lying below on its stand. Using the Eye of ThunDera Lion-O soon had Claud-Us standing in the room with them. Lioness-A's jaw dropped in amazement and she walked forward to gently touch his arm. Claud-Us turned at the touch and raised a hand to gently trace her face as Lioness-A's eyes closed in bliss. The tears were rolling down her face.

"Lioness-A is that you?" Claud-Us asked backing up. He still had a hand on her shoulder and reached out to touch Lion-O's shoulder.

"Yes Father it is Lioness-A, your long lost daughter. I have come home," Lioness-A whispered as Claud-Us' sightless eyes watered. He pulled her close for a hug. Lion-O walked over and was also pulled into the hug. His own eyes watered with unshed tears.

"Lioness-A my daughter. It has been so long since I've seen you! Your mother would be proud of you if she were here now to see you," Claud-Us added. "You sound so much like her. Very well, since I am here, I will take you on a time travel of how your mother and I met, fell in love and finally wed. Come, nothing will go wrong while we are gone," Claud-Us added as the twins smiled and took his hands. The world turned blue and purple and then the room vanished from their sight. The twins soon found themselves on the plains of Old ThunDera near Wizzara. Claud-Us turned toward them and gestured toward the city.

"Your mother and her twin brother were born here to Dabar and his mate Delana in May of 4407. This is where she was raised and also where she met Rella, the daughter of a cougar baron and his mate. Those two became close friends and often took picnics in the surrounding countryside," Claud-Us said as a pair of young females appeared on the horizon. "They can't see or hear us, since this is the past," Claud-Us added quietly as the two walked over to the shade of several trees to have a picnic. "The year is 4423 and they are both sixteen," he added as Lioness-A turned to watch the pair.

"So Claudana, tell me about this mystery guy that your twin knows," Rella was saying as the three invisible people walked over to hear better.

"I don't know that much about him Rella except that he's the son of Lord Cristoforo of Calora and that he's eighteen years old. That's it," Claudana replied as she carefully lowered herself to the ground. She was beautiful with a long scarlet mane and topaz eyes. Her gown was a light purple color with a gray belt. She also wore a pair of gray ankle boots. Lion-O looked from her to his sister and discovered that the two favored each other closely.

"Did you get his name?" Rella asked, pushing a strand of her brown mane behind her ears.

"Benthor said his name was Claud-Us," Claudana replied. She sat down and leaned against a tree. "Benthor introduced me to him about three weeks ago and Claud-Us seems to like me for some reason," she added as Rella smiled.

"I wonder why?" Rella said teasingly. Claud-Us signaled to his twins and they followed him through purple and gray mists to another date and time.

"Where are we now Father?" Lioness-A asked gazing around the dance room in awe.

"It is April of 4427 and your mother and I are attending a dance together. She is twenty years old and I am twenty-two years old," Claud-Us replied. "This is the dance that followed my birthday party. Claudana had moved to Calora to attend college at the Cat's Lair I lived in with my family. My father had stepped down as lord about a year or two earlier. Watch," he added as a very young Claud-Us entered the room with Claudana at his side. The young Claud-Us bore a striking resemblance to his son and Lioness-A found herself studying the two closely. A band began playing a very slow song as Claud-Us escorted his young date out onto the dance floor and began dancing. Over along one wall were a group of Thundercats that Lioness-A didn't recognize except for Tygra, Panthro and Cheetara. Cheetara was nine years old and Tygra was eleven years old. Panthro looked to be at least fifteen years old. Lioness-A blinked and pointed the three out to Lion-O whose eyes widened as he recognized the young Cheetara. Also against the wall was Jaga, Lord Cristoforo and Lady Althana, Claud-Us' parents. Next to them were a set of lions that looked to be Claudana's parents and one that looked identical to her so it must be Benthor. There was also a young lioness standing on the other side of Althana that Lioness-A and Lion-O didn't recognize.

"Who's the young lioness standing next to Grandmother?" Lioness-A asked her father. He blinked and smiled sadly.

"Your aunt Liania," Claud-Us replied softly. "She became a close friend of your mother's because they were the same age," he added.

"What happened to her?" Lion-O asked as they continued to watch the dance.

"She died from the virus when she was about twenty-seven. She left behind one cub," Claud-Us added. "Your young cousin Celyna who was born about three years after you were."

"How about Benthor?" Lion-O asked.

"You should know him Lion-O because your cousins Rialla and Catsy are his two daughters. Make sure Lioness-A meets them," Claud-Us added. "The last time she saw them was Midwinter's Eve of 4437. Lioness-A left for Rella's in the winter of 4438," he added. He listened for a moment and then smiled. "Listen my children. I am about to make an announcement."

"Father, Mother I have an announcement to make," the young Claud-Us said as everyone quieted down. "I have asked Claudana to be my mate and she has gladly accepted my proposal," he went as everyone cheered. Lord Cristoforo smiled and came over to hug his son.

"Well done my son. I am very proud of you and welcome this young lioness into our family," Cristoforo said to everyone gathered nearby. "Dabar, you and Delana have blessed my son with a very intelligent young lioness and for that I thank you," he added as Dabar came over to shake hands with Claud-Us.

"We shall assist your mate with the preparations for the wedding. I will be honored to call Claud-Us my son in law," Dabar added as his mate came to stand beside him. The older Claud-Us gestured to his children and they withdrew from the scene, surprise written on their faces.

"What happened to Mother's parents Father? We never knew them that well," Lioness-A asked on the way to another day and time.

"They were very much a part of your lives during the early years Lioness-A. Dabar died during the Great Thunderian Virus of 4435. It was a few months before we lost your mother," Claud-Us said sadly. "Your grandmother moved to Calora after your mother took ill and assisted me with your care. She returned to Wizzara right after your mother passed away. I think she couldn't bear the loss of losing her mate and daughter so close to each other. As far as I knew, she died several years later. We lost my mother in 4434 and my father in 4436," Claud-Us added as he paused. "Ah, here we are at my wedding to your mother. Watch carefully," Claud-Us told his twins as they surveyed the scene before them. They were in one of the large temples present throughout the city. A large Thundercat insignia was on the wall behind the lion priest Barok who was there along with a large number of the Thundercat nobility. Claud-Us was there in a white tunic and slacks and had a gold sash around his waist with the Thundercat insignia in the middle. He also wore a gray cloak edged in gold. Claudana's dress was white with silver trim and her hair was braided and trimmed with silver threads. She also wore a silver belt with the Thundercat insignia on it. Barok took their hands and the ceremony began.

"We have convened today to see this pair mated," Barok said and took the couple's hands. "Do you agree to this?"

"I do," said Claud-Us proudly as Barok took one end of the gold belt in his right hand.

"I do," echoed Claudana as the priest took one end of her silver belt in his left hand. He crossed the gold over the silver one and looked the couple in the eyes.

"The crossing of these cords signifies the handfasting of this couple and their love for one another," Barok said and took a deep breath, "By the power of the Eye of Thundera, I now pronounce you mated. You may kiss your mate Claud-Us," he added with a smile as he gave the belts back to their owners. Claud-Us gently kissed Claudana as everyone cheered. After that, found everyone outside to enjoy the reception held in the couple's honor.

"Lion-O, the wedding set that you see your mother and myself wearing is yours to use at your wedding," Claud-Us said as Lion-O nodded quietly. The three then quietly withdrew as the merrymaking continued onward. "That was January of 4428 two years before you were born. We are now going to the year 4430, which is the year you were born. It is early September and your mother is ready to deliver you both. She had a easy pregnancy and carried both of you surprisingly well. Watch and listen closely. What happens here Lion-O you will have to listen for when your own son is born. It is a part of our heritage with the Eye of ThunDera and the Sword of Omens," Claud-Us said as Lion-O nodded. Once there they quietly settled into a corner of the council chamber. Lioness-A could see her grandfather seated at the large round table and Jaga standing next to her father at the window. It was obvious that the birth was worrying Claud-Us, although Jaga tried to get it off of his mind.

"Come Claud-Us, let us play some Thunderchess while we wait for word from the sick bay," Jaga said to his friend.

"How can I do anything while my mate's laboring to bring forth the twins that she's carried for the last nine months?" Claud-Us asked. His father smiled.

"Son, these things take a while. Sit down and play a few rounds with Jaga. It will help pass the time," Cristoforo said as Claud-Us sat down at the table across from Jaga and the gameboard. Several hours passed by uneventfully. Cristoforo dozed off while Jaga and Claud-Us talked in low tones nearby. Around 5:40 though the Eye began growling and the noise woke Cristoforo up from his nap. He sat up and listened to the noise and grinned when he realized what was going on. The storm that had been going on for most of the night had abated some and it was lightly drizzling when the growl occurred.

"Why is the Eye doing this Father?" Claud-Us asked baffled. His father only smiled.

"I think we're getting close to the arrival of an heir," Cristoforo said as his son blinked.

"Are you sure Lord Cristoforo?" Jaga asked. Cristoforo nodded.

"I heard the noise well over twenty-five years ago when Claud-Us was born. Your uncle told me what the noise was for and I believe we'd better be ready to receive word from the sick bay," Cristoforo said. "We don't have long to wait."

About five minutes later the Cat signal appeared in the early morning hours. Cheers erupted from both ends of the Lair as the reason for the signal became apparent. Shella, one of the nurses attending Lady Claudana arrived in the council chamber to give Lord Claud-Us the news. He was waiting for her.

"You have a healthy son and daughter my lord," Shella said as Claud-Us sighed in relief. "The mother's doing fine and wants to see you as soon as possible," she added and led him to the sick bay. The three ghost figures followed from a distance, but once in the sick bay headed for the room where Claudana rested with the twins. Lioness-A's eyes watered as she watched her mother gently cradle her newborn twins in her arms as they nursed. Both had their parents' markings and also had scarlet fuzz covering their tiny heads. About then, Soros, the head healer, led the young Claud-Us into the room to see his new family.

"The twins both weigh over five pounds and the male arrived first with the female three minutes later. It was a fairly easy delivery. I'll leave you with them for a few minutes," Soros said as he quietly withdrew from the room. Claud-Us walked over to the bed to view the twins up close.

"Oh Claud-Us, aren't they beautiful?" Claudana asked as Claud-Us smiled and gently kissed her.

"They are my love," he whispered. "You did great and I'm so proud of you."

"What do we name them?" Claudana asked then.

"How about the names we agreed on last night?" Claud-Us asked as he stroked his son's tiny head with one finger.

"Lion-O for the male and Lioness-A for the female. I like them. And I hope the twins like their names," Claudana added as the twins both yawned at the same time. Their parents smiled and Claud-Us slid an arm around his mate's shoulder. His hand was still stroking Lion-O's scarlet fuzz. Soros reentered the room and smiled as he watched the young family. Handing over a small computer he asked Claud-Us to sign his name and also write down the names of the twin cubs. Claud-Us did so and had Claudana sign her name to the computer. Soros walked over and took the computer from Claud-Us and turned to study Claudana.

"Time to let her and the twins rest for a while Claud-Us. I will allow you to burp your son while Claudana takes care of your daughter. Then we'll put them down in that basket nearby so they can sleep," Soros said quietly as he watched Claud-Us take Lion-O from his mother and gently burp him. Claud-Us cradled Lion-O close to him as Lion-O began mewling.

"It's okay son, your father's here. Shhh, everything's fine," Claud-Us murmured and began to gently hum a tune. The older twins blinked as they recognized the tune as a lullaby that their mother had often sang to them. Lioness-A had learned it and the music from Rella several years ago and could play it well. Lion-O's eyes were misty as he watched them. The tiny Lion-O quieted down and Claud-Us tucked him into the basket as Soros walked over to tuck Lioness-A in beside her twin brother.

"I'm surprised at you Lord Claud-Us," Soros noted as he watched the sleeping cubs. "They're sleeping peacefully. Where did you learn that song?" he asked.

"Ask my mate, she'll tell you," Claud-Us answered gazing at his sleeping mate with love shining in his eyes. The older Claud-Us gestured to the twins and they quietly withdrew from the scene before. It was then that Claud-Us sensed something had gotten his son's attention while they were there.

"I take it that you're familiar with the tune?" Claud-Us noted quietly as they headed through the mists to another location only he knew about. Lion-O nodded and smiled quietly.

"Lioness-A was humming it last night while she was getting ready for bed," Lion-O replied, his eyes lost in thought. "Where did Mother learn it?" he asked.

"Your grandmother Evelyne taught your mother the lullaby and ever since then, she sang it whenever the two of you were restless," Claud-Us said as they appeared in an apartment that was strewn with toys all over the sitting room floor. Over in the corner Lioness-A and Lion-O could see themselves playing with a stack of blocks while a red and orange snarf watched from the couch.

"Snarf, Lion-O watch what you're doing," Snarf said as he walked over to where the four year old twins were playing. He gently pried a block loose from Lion-O's fingers and set it on the ground. "The building is too tall right now Lion-O. Start on another one," Snarf said as Lady Claudana entered the room.

"Mommy!" Lioness-A chattered, getting up and running over to where her mother was standing. "Look what we did!" she added as Claudana picked her up. Claudana walked over to inspect the village.

"It looks nice Lioness-A. Why don't you and Lion-O show me around," Claudana said as she settled on the ground next to the cubs. Lion-O and Lioness-A then spent part of the afternoon with her showing her the village until Claud-Us arrived a little after four. He paused as he watched the scene.

"What are we looking at here?" he asked coming over to where they were. Lion-O saw him and jumped up to run over and hug him.

"Daddy! You're home!" Lion-O exclaimed as Claud-Us caught him in a hug. "Come see the city that Lioness-A and I built this afternoon with Snarf's help," Lion-O said as Claud-Us followed him over to where the village was set up.

"Creative aren't they?" Claudana noted quietly. "I went and saw both Liania and Celyna. They're doing fine today and Althana was also there," Claudana added as Claud-Us smiled.

"Were the twins good today Snarf?" Claud-Us asked. Snarf smiled and nodded. "Good, then head to the dining room to get your ice cream," Claud-Us said as the twins grinned. "Snarf make sure Lion-O gets the vanilla and not the chocolate," Claud-Us said as Snarf nodded and scampered off to find the twins. The older Claud-Us beckoned to his twins and they followed him back into the purple mists. Lioness-A turned to study her brother.

"I didn't remember that you were allergic to chocolate Lion-O," she said as he smiled.

"Soros gave me some chocolate about nine months ago to make sure I still was and to make sure the medicine to counteract the allergy still worked. I was miserable after eating that stuff, but the medicine helped," Lion-O said as his father chuckled.

"You inherited that allergy from your mother Lion-O. We found out when you were two years old and you had a piece of chocolate cake and got sick afterwards. You were a brave boy to take the medicine without screaming," Claud-Us noted and paused as he considered what was ahead of them. "We are at the point where your mother has just died over a month ago. Your grandfather, my father, is still alive and is keeping you while I work with Jaga," Claud-Us said as the three stepped into a much-changed apartment. It was definitely quieter and Lion-O and Lioness-A looked around and found Lord Cristoforo seated on a sofa with the five year-old twins seated on either side of him. The mood was somber and quiet. Lioness-A was clutching a brown teddy bear in her arms and was trying hard not to cry. Lion-O, on the other side of their grandfather, was also trying not to cry. Cristoforo stroked their scarlet manes while Snarf folded laundry nearby.

"I miss Mommy Grandpa," Lioness-A whimpered, burying her face in his chest.

"I know you do darling and I miss her too," Cristoforo said gently. However, he had been dealt a double blow. Althana, his mate, had died in May of 4434 from complications brought on by a stroke. Liania, the twins' aunt had died later that same year from the Great Thunderian Virus. She had been one of the first cases reported. Her mate, Jores and their cub, Celyna, were devastated by the loss. The pain had not only affected Cristoforo but also his son as well. Claud-Us worked nearly every day for long hours and as a result, his cubs barely saw that much of him.

"I wish Daddy were here," Lion-O observed quietly from his side. Snarf turned at this and saw Lion-O's sad face. As the heir to the throne, he had hoped to spend more time with his father. Such wasn't the case and Snarf knew how much it hurt the cubs not to see their father every day. If Cristoforo knew of it, he wisely said nothing.

"Lion-O's right, Cristoforo. How's he supposed to learn the responsibilities if his father isn't home enough to teach him?" Snarf asked walking over to the sofa. "Claud-Us usually gets here right after they're put to bed and is gone to his office by the time they wake up in the morning. You're the only person besides me that they've seen on a steady basis," Snarf added as Cristoforo pursed his lips in thought.

"I'll talk with Claud-Us tonight Snarf after these two are put to bed. You're right and it's time I told Claud-Us that," Cristoforo said as Snarf nodded. The older Claud-Us beckoned to his children and they followed him into the purple mists.

"Did Grandpa ever talk to you about that?" Lion-O asked his father, who slowly nodded.

"Yes son he did and I must say that I'm glad that he did," Claud-Us said and went on, "I started spending more time with you two after that. Especially after he died in October of 4436 from pneumonia. That was one rough time as I realized that I was the only one left of my family. It was also part of the reason I never took another mate after your mother died. I loved her dearly and she meant the world to me. You two were her legacy and gift to me," Claud-Us said as his twins smiled. "I'm glad I had you two with me and I love you dearly," he added as the twins hugged him tightly.

"We love you too, Father," Lioness-A whispered. "Where are we going now?"

"We are going to the day before you left with Baron Ternas and Baroness Rella, Lioness-A," Claud-Us replied as Lioness-A gasped. "I know it hurts, but we must learn why you were sent to live with them," Claud-Us added, gently rubbing her back. The scene before them was of the royal apartment once again but with boxes stacked in various locations. Some were full and already labeled while the others weren't full and had been left open. Snarf appeared from a side room carrying a stack of clothing and had both of the twins, now aged seven, following him. They were strangely quiet and Lioness-A was holding her stuffed bear.

_*What happened to that bear of yours?*_ Lion-O asked his twin via their link. She smiled.

_*I've still got it in one of those boxes in my bedchamber,*_ Lioness-A replied. _*Do you have yours?*_ she asked teasingly. Lion-O smiled gruffly but didn't answer. They turned back to the scene before them.

"That's the last of it," Snarf was saying as he closed and sealed the last of the boxes. "I'll go tell Lord Claud-Us that you're ready Lioness-A. Be right back," Snarf added and left the room.

"I don't want to go!" Lioness-A wailed as she and Lion-O sat down on the couch. "It's not fair!" she went on, tears rolling down her face. She rubbed her face with her fists angrily.

"I know sis, but try to be brave for Daddy's sake. He's only doing this for our sake," Lion-O said as he rubbed her back. "Who knows, maybe it'll be fun," he added. The older twins stared at each other in amazement. Lion-O had evidentially inherited some sort of wisdom from his father and it was starting to show through at the age he was now. By then, Snarf had reappeared with Claud-Us, who walked over and hugged his daughter tightly.

"Be brave my daughter and one day you will see both of us again. I'm not sure when or how though, but I know you one day will," Claud-Us said and took her hand. "Come you two, Baroness Rella wishes to see you," he added as he led them from the room. Snarf and the three spectral figures followed him to the Great Hall where they saw Baron Ternas and his mate waiting.

"Come to me Lioness-A and let me see you," Rella said gently as Lioness-A came forward shyly, still clutching the bear in one arm. "Everything will be all right, you'll see," she said softly to the trembling kitten. To Lord Claud-Us standing nearby, "I'll watch over her my lord and will send you updated holophotos as needed."

"Thank you Baroness and I appreciate it. Please allow her to come and visit us sometime this summer if you can swing it," Claud-Us said as she nodded.

"We'll do so Lord Claud-Us. Come Lioness-A, we have a long way to go to get to Bersona," Baron Ternas said as she nodded. She hugged her brother, father and Snarf one last time and was gone from their sight. Claud-Us knelt down and pulled his son into his arms and rocked with him back and forth as Lion-O cried.

"It will be all right Lion-O. Just wait and see. I'm here son," Claud-Us murmured in his son's ears while he stroked the scarlet mane. Snarf appeared at their side and looked worriedly on. The three ghost figures took the opportunity to withdraw from the scene and soon reappeared in the Sword Chamber of Cat's Lair. Tears were freely streaming down both Lion-O and Lioness-A's faces. Claud-Us' face was unreadable.

"You did visit us that summer Lioness-A, cause I remember the fun we had with Wilykit and Wilykat," Lion-O said softly as she nodded. Walking over to Claud-Us, Lioness-A laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I remember that as well," Claud-Us murmured, raising his head thoughtfully. "However, Ternas died in the mutant attack of 4439 and we lost track of both you and Baroness Rella. It was almost as if she went into seclusion," Claud-Us added.

"She did for a while, but let me see you later that same autumn. If I remember right, you lost your sight in November of that same year," Lioness-A said as he father nodded. "If only we could see Mother again. It would mean so much to me," Lioness-A said, lowering her head. "Just this once."

"Let's see what I can do about that then," Claud-Us said and lowered his head. A few seconds passed quietly by and then both Lion-O and Lioness-A backed up in startled amazement as a purple glow filled a corner of the room. The figure that was forming was feminine in nature and she had a long scarlet mane and wore an outfit of purple and gray. Her topaz eyes shown with love as she studied both Claud-Us and the twins before her. She walked over and gently touched Claud-Us's shoulder, forcing his head to raise. When he realized who it was, he smiled and hugged her.

"Claudana, my love. There are two people here who wished to see you," Claud-Us said as he gestured to the twins standing nearby. Claudana turned and her face brightened when she saw the twins. She walked over to them and hugged each of them tightly.

"My darlings! Oh how I have waited for this day!" she whispered, stroking Lioness-A's cheek with a gentle finger. Lioness-A was smiling through the tears rolling down her face. "You have grown up well Lioness-A. A very striking young lady you have become. And could this tall, handsome male be your twin brother?" Claudana asked, walking over to study Lion-O with a mother's eye. His eyes were watering as she stroked his cheek.

"Mother," was all he could get out before the tears overtook him. Claudana smiled and hugged her son close to her while Claud-Us did the same for their daughter.

"Shhh, my son, your mother's here now for a visit. I realize that you needed this as much as your twin," Claudana murmured, studying Lion-O's face.

"Sorry about that," Lion-O whispered, drying his face with the back of one hand. "I've seen more than my share of memories today," he added as she smiled.

"So I noticed," Claudana said and looked him over. "You remind me of your father when he was that age. You're what, twenty-four now?" Claudana asked as the two nodded. "How time does fly," Claudana murmured.

"We understand why Rella took me and also how to be stronger in our understanding of one another," Lioness-A said as her mother smiled.

"I see that the twin bond is working in both of you now. Good. Keep it functioning and it will never let you down. You will be able to communicate with each other even if one of you is unconscious or in a lot of pain. That will be useful if the doctors do not know what is wrong with one of you. They can ask the other twin," Claudana said as the twins blinked and looked at each other. "Benthor and I learned that a long time ago and the only reason that he outlived me for so long was because he managed to sever the twin bond between us," Claudana added.

"Can that be done?" Lioness-A asked, astonished.

"Yes, it can, but only if one of you is nearing death and the other's in perfect health and not affected by the same illness," Claudana replied and hugged them again. "Time for Claud-Us and myself to withdraw to the Astral Dimension. We'll be here if you need us. Take care and we love you both," Claudana added as Claud-Us hugged the twins and joined his mate. They took each other's hands and then they were gone in a flash of bright blue light. Once the light cleared Lion-O turned to study his twin.

"What did you think of that?" he asked, running a hand through his mane.

"Interesting, but needed," Lioness-A answered. She walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder. Lion-O blinked and studied her face for a moment. "Thank you," she said softly. Lion-O smiled and hugged her tightly.

"You're welcome," he whispered. "Let's go see if lunch is ready," Lion-O said as his twin grinned.

Cheetara and Tygra were in the dining chamber when the two arrived and they could tell something had happened, but chose not to question it. Lion-O filled his plate with some food and took a seat next to Cheetara while Tygra pulled out the seat on the other side of him for Lioness-A. Lion-O hid a grin at this.

_*I think Tygra has a crush on you,*_ he said softly to his twin, who tried not to blush.

_*Are you sure?*_ she asked. He nodded.

_*I can see the way he looks at you all the time. He's trying hard not to show his true feelings. I think you better have a talk with him,*_ Lion-O replied as Lioness-A grew thoughtful.

"So, how did your morning go?" Tygra asked Lioness-A.

"Pretty well and yours?" she asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Well enough I suppose. I was checking the conduits in the main power room. Want to accompany me while I check the ones in the head?" Tygra asked.

"Why not," Lioness-A replied with a smile. "It's time I learned how to check those things," she added as Tygra smiled. The two finished their meal and left together for the Lair's head. Lion-O, however, smiled and continued eating. Cheetara looked confused.

"Did I miss something?" she asked Lion-O.

"I don't think so, Cheetara," Lion-O replied, swallowing a bite. He took a drink of his Thundertea and went on, "Tygra has an apparent crush on Lioness-A. I told her to have a talk with him."

"Well I'll be," Cheetara exclaimed softly and watched as Lion-O rose to his feet to take his empty plate into the kitchen. "Where are you going?" she asked him.

"Out to check on some of the outpost relays. Especially that one in the Alt'rian sector. Want to come along? I may need the help," Lion-O replied as Cheetara picked up her plate and rose to follow him.

"Sure, why not. We can talk on the way," Cheetara said as she placed her plate in the sink beside Lion-O's. He grinned and leaned over to gently kiss her. "Come on get the dishes done," Cheetara said with a laugh as Lion-O grinned. The two ended up doing the dishes together which involved a lot of water throwing and laughing. Lion-O and Cheetara quickly cleaned the kitchen and left for the hangar. They left for the Alt'rian sector about a few minutes later on board the Thunderclaw.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE:

Lioness-A and Tygra, however, were upstairs working on the conduits. Lioness-A was amazed at all the conduits that were scattered around the room. A maze of wires connected them to various locations, which Tygra said were essential for running the Lair's security system and other systems, including the weapons systems.

"There's a bunch of these conduits everywhere! How do you possibly check them all Tygra?" Lioness-A asked, staring up at the ceiling at the maze of wires.

"Very carefully and it usually takes two or three days, even with two people sharing the load. If we had more people here we could get it done in a day and a half," Tygra replied watching her for a moment. Lioness-A was working nearby, removing some of the old conduits and placing them into a bucket sitting on the ground next to her feet. The bucket sitting on the shelf next to her held the newer conduits and every now and then, Lioness-A would pick one of the new ones up and inspect it. If it met with her inspection, she put it where the old conduit had gone. Tygra smiled and went back to work on the wires.

"Hey Tygra, I'm having trouble getting one of these conduits to fit," Lioness-A said as Tygra walked over for a closer look.

"Let's see what you're doing wrong, Lioness-A," Tygra murmured as he gently took the conduit out of her fingers. As he did so, his arm brushed hers and Lioness-A tried to keep from blushing. Tygra fiddled with the conduit a minute and finally got it in right. "Ah ha! Take a look here Lioness-A. This one you have to turn sideways to get it in there right. Can you see what I mean?" Tygra asked, moving to one side so she could see better. Lioness-A peered into the hole and backed out, nodding. On the way out though, she banged her head on the side.

"Ow! That hurt!" she exclaimed, rubbing the spot with one hand.

"Here let me have a look," Tygra said gently, moving her hand. He gently probed her head and found no lumps that he could feel. 'At least it's not bleeding,' Tygra noted thoughtfully. He tilted her head up and gazed into the clear topaz eyes for a moment. 'Gods, she's beautiful!' he thought studying her face and gently cupping her chin with one hand. "You're all right, but I would suggest you rest for a bit," he said, guiding her to a box to sit down.

"Remind me not to do that again," Lioness-A said as Tygra smiled. He sat down next to her and held her hand gently. Lioness-A blinked, but looking into Tygra's golden amber eyes, she saw something there that she had never seen before. "Tygra?" she asked questionably.

"What?" he asked, curling his fingers around her hands.

"I don't know," Lioness-A whispered, "but I think I'm about to find out," she added as Tygra smiled and gently kissed her. The kiss was warm and sweet and Lioness-A reveled in the feel of it. Tygra smiled and pulled her closer for a hug. Lioness-A leaned her head against his shoulder as he rocked with her back and forth.

"Feel better?" Tygra asked her as she nodded. "There is something else I wish to tell you while we're here," he went on. Lioness-A watched him expectantly. "I love you Lioness-A. I think it was from the first day I helped you up in the streets of Calora. Remember that?"

"I do Tygra," Lioness-A whispered. "And I love you too," she added before he kissed her again. They broke apart and studied each other with a shy smile.

"Come on, let's get back to work. I'll help you over here," Tygra whispered as Lioness-A smiled and nodded.

"You wouldn't mind dating the sister to the Lord of the Thundercats would you?" Lioness-A asked as they worked. Tygra paused a moment in thought.

"I wouldn't mind at all. You're a very intelligent young lady and I'm reminded of your mother every time I see you. Aside from that, you're also very beautiful," Tygra added as she blushed. He chuckled and gently kissed her cheek.

"You're the first that has ever said that to me," Lioness-A said as he grinned. "I thank you for it. And I think that you're quite handsome yourself," she added and was rewarded to see him blush with the praise.

**************

Later that evening, Lion-O came by his sister's room to see how she was doing. He knew of her experience with Tygra because of the twin bond and decided to come see how his sister was doing. Lioness-A turned as he entered and noticed that he wore a light blue robe over a nightshirt and shorts of a darker blue. He also wore blue slippers. Lioness-A had to admit that the colors looked pretty good on him. She herself wore a light purple robe over a nightgown of grayish blue.

"I hear you had an interesting day," Lion-O noted as she smiled softly. Lioness-A was seated at her dresser table brushing out her long thick mane. There was a picture of her and Tygra stuck in a corner of the mirror on one side and another of her and Lion-O stuck in the opposite corner. A third picture of their parents was sitting in a tan photo frame on the dresser table next to a white jewelry box. All three Lioness-A had done herself, Lion-O noticed, as he walked up behind her and took the brush from her hand and gently began to brush her mane. Lioness-A sighed and closed her eyes in bliss. "Something also tells me that you are going to enjoy this to its fullest," he added as he worked the brush through the mane.

"You could say that," Lioness-A noted, opening her eyes to watch her brother brush her mane. "I never knew anything about love until now. This is a new experience with me. What about you?" Lioness-A asked. Lion-O lowered his eyes for a moment before replying.

"Cheetara may be my girlfriend, Lioness-A, but I've had more problems with love than you probably realize," Lion-O said. "When the Thunderian refugees started returning home, I met some females who only wanted me for the power my position holds. Those relationships never lasted more than two or three months and I was always hurt after we broke up. I thought then that there was no way I could ever love again."

"What about Cheetara?" Lioness-A asked softly, stunned at what her brother had just told her.

"She came along just when I needed her the most and gave me the shoulder to lean on. I think she somehow knew that the two of us would ultimately be together and when she told me that, I realized that I had fallen in love with her. I wonder if it was fate that brought us together," Lion-O replied, his eyes lost in thought. "Neither Father nor Jaga will tell me anything about it."

"Cheetara has the gift of sixth sense, doesn't she?" Lioness-A asked as Lion-O nodded. "Hmm, that explains some of it."

"She's also fully telepathic and telekinetic," Lion-O added as Lioness-A blinked. "That's how we knew about Pumyra, Bengali and Lynx-O being on Third Earth with us."

"Third Earth?" Lioness-A asked, confusion written on her face. Lion-O saw the look and handed her the brush as he moved to sit on her bed. Lioness-A set the brush down on the dresser and rose to her feet to walk over to the bed.

"That's the name of the planet the flagship I and the others crashed on. It was a neat place and we have a Cat's Lair there as well as a Tower of Omens," Lion-O said as Lioness-A sat down next to him. "It's also where I took my anointment trials."

"Ah, I see now. That explains those memories that I didn't understand where you were living at the time. Interesting," Lioness-A said. "We crashed on the planet Boktor, home of the Interstellar Council Conference and that's where I grew up," she added as Lion-O thought a moment.

"You must have been growing while I was in that suspension capsule," he said as she nodded. "Did you ever go into suspension?" he asked. She nodded.

"I did, and it was miserable having to got through teenage experiences after coming out. That's why I'm as grown up as you are now," Lioness-A told Lion-O, who looked lost in thought.

"Schooling?" Lion-O asked. "I got tutored by Tygra during the lull between battles," he added as Lioness-A grinned.

"I was schooled by Baroness Rella and one of her associates while we were on Boktor," Lioness-A said as Lion-O thought this through. "I was a good student and passed with flying colors," she added.

"Any Thundercat training?" he asked. Lioness-A thought a moment and nodded.

"Some, but not very much," Lioness-A confessed. "We didn't have much time, because Baroness Rella was always busy, visiting friends that she met while there. There were a few Thunderian families and we became friends with a lot of the people. Baroness Rella even had a boyfriend picked out for me," Lioness-A added ruefully.

"A boyfriend, eh?" Lion-O asked as she nodded. "Better not tell Tygra that."

"I know," Lioness-A said sourly. "The guy was nice, but he just wasn't anyone I would want to commit to. Rella said that he came from a good lion tribe and that my parents would approve of the match. Now that I think back on it, they would've been happier if I was happy. And right now, I am," Lioness-A added as Lion-O smiled.

"Tygra has a lot going for him," Lion-O noted. "What is it about him that you like?" he asked.

"He's a gentleman and treats me with respect. Besides, he loves my artwork and uses it to see what his designs will look like when they're done," Lioness-A answered, a faraway look to her eyes.

"Good point there Lioness-A. I'm glad that Tygra can use your artwork to see how one of his ideas will turn out," Lion-O said with a soft smile. "I have a question for you," he went on.

"Oh, what might that be?" Lioness-A asked.

"Do you remember our father playing a harmonica?" Lion-O asked as she blinked. "I found it in a box he left for me," Lion-O said as he reached into the pocket of his robe to pull out a small gray colored harmonica with the Cat's Eye on one side. Lioness-A blinked again and took it from him.

"Can you play this?" she asked softly, flipping the harmonica over to read the inscription on the bottom. It read 'Claud-Us and Claudana. Friends and lovers for life. October 4429.' Her eyes were soft as she read the inscription.

"I sure can Lioness-A. I learned how to from the free time I had on Third Earth. It helped to pass the time," Lion-O replied and took the harmonica back from her. "Here, I'll show you the song I learned first and was easy for me to remember," he added and lifted the harmonica to his lips and began playing a melody that Lioness-A recognized. She softly hummed along as Lion-O continued playing.

"Where have I heard that song before?" Lioness-A asked as Lion-O lowered the harmonica. "I've heard it somewhere, but for the life of me, I can't recall where or when."

"Could it be that you heard it while I was playing it on Third Earth?" Lion-O asked.

"No, because I heard it sometime way back before that," Lioness-A replied, shaking her head in confusion.

"Hmm. I wonder," Lion-O murmured. "Do you think Snarf would know?" Lion-O asked as Lioness-A thought.

"Maybe. We can ask him and see," she said as Lion-O headed for the intercom to call Snarf. The red and orange snarf appeared a few minutes later and headed for Lioness-A's lap. Lioness-A smiled and hugged the old snarf close to her. "Lion-O, play that song and see if Snarf knows it," Lioness-A said as Lion-O began playing. Snarf smiled and hummed along with Lioness-A as the song wafted over them.

"That's a lullaby your mother used to sing a long time ago to put you two to sleep," Snarf said as the twins blinked. "I'm certainly surprised either of you remembered it," Snarf added thoughtfully. "Although Cheetara hummed it off and on when she baby-sat Lion-O after you left Lioness-A," Snarf noted. "Those two were practically unseparable. It's no wonder they're dating now," Snarf observed, jumping off the bed and heading for the door. "I'll see you in the morning. Time for me to turn in." A moment later he was gone.

"Interesting," Lioness-A murmured. "What do you think of that?"

"I remember some of that because Cheetara was the only other one I got along with besides you and Father. I still wonder why," Lion-O answered, a faraway look on his face.

"You never know what will happen Lion-O. As I recall, you and Cheetara were friends when she first came to the lair once. Remember?" Lioness-A asked. "I think it was when we were six or so and she was with her parents. She must have been at least thirteen. How old were you when you landed on Third Earth?" Lioness-A asked.

"Nineteen going on twenty," Lion-O replied and grew thoughtful. "Now that I think back on it, you're right. Cheetara was nineteen when ThunDera was destroyed and we were twelve. I aged seven years in suspension and after I got out, Cheetara knew that I had aged mentally as well. We remained close friends even after that. The others definitely noticed," Lion-O noted as his twin smiled.

"Is that why you like her so much?" Lioness-A asked. Lion-O looked over at her and smiled, a faraway look in his eyes.

"In a way, yes. There was this small aircraft that made contact with her sixth sense and because of it, Cheetara's powers became evident. When the aircraft left Third Earth, it decided to play matchmaker because it knew what she felt for me from sharing her mind. Anyway, it flew around the room and bumped into me. Well, I stumbled a bit too far and banged against Cheetara's back. We were both blushing after that," Lion-O said and smiled at the memory. Lioness-A smiled as she saw what Lion-O meant.

"You must have had fun after that," she observed. Lion-O quietly nodded.

"Actually, it was after we got rid of Mumm-Ra the second time when he was here on New ThunDera. Be glad you haven't met him yet," Lion-O said. "He caused a lot of trouble when I first met him after we landed on Third Earth. I don't think you'll have to worry about him," Lion-O added as Lioness-A nodded thoughtfully.

"I see. I remember a lot of times I was witnessing through you that dealt with him. I don't think I want to meet him anytime soon. If I do, it will be too soon," Lioness-A said and yawned. "Let's get some sleep Lion-O. We've got a busy day tomorrow," Lioness-A noted as Lion-O rose from the bed and headed for the door. He turned back to see Lioness-A pulling the blankets over her. She smiled and reached up to cut out her bedside light. Lion-O headed for his room and a nice warm shower before he went to bed.

The following morning at breakfast, Tygra invited Lioness-A to join him at the transport tower to repair some cables and finish a few more connections. Lioness-A was pleased and followed him out the door while Cheetara followed Lion-O to his office. Once inside the door, Lion-O flipped on the lights and headed for his desk, which was covered with papers.

"I've got a ton of paperwork to sift through today Cheetara," he noted sourly as Cheetara sat down on the sofa across from the desk. She only smiled as Lion-O began sorting through the papers that had been left in his box from the night before. "Let's see, what have we got today?" Lion-O murmured thoughtfully.

"Need any help?" Cheetara asked. Lion-O looked at her for a moment. "I'll do anything you need me to do," she added as he nodded thoughtfully.

"Can you file those papers on that table next to the telecom?" Lion-O asked as Cheetara went to look at the stack. "They're all located in the two file cabinets. Should be easy to locate where they go," Lion-O added as Cheetara nodded. She began filing papers as Lion-O began reading through some of the paperwork that was piled on his desk. At one point, he walked over to the small desk that held his telecom and turned it on to type up some things on it and also look up a few files.

"Anything interesting on the telecom today?" Cheetara asked, watching Lion-O as he zipped through a rather long file. She saw that the file held some information on a Thunderian war from several centuries ago. "What are you needing that for?" she asked.

"Something just came up and I'm wondering if there's any connection between them and the events that led to this ancient war," Lion-O replied, a studied look on his face.

"Ah, I see. Find anything useful?" Cheetara asked as she read the file over his shoulder.

"Not really," Lion-O said scowling. "Here, you read it and this report and make any notes of anything you see unusual," Lion-O said as he wheeled his chair back to his large desk. "There's a stool by the closet door if you need a seat," he added as Cheetara moved the stool in front of the telecom. She looked through the report first and found a blank piece of paper and a pen to make notes on.

"Do you have any other files on this war stored on your telecom?" Cheetara asked as she began reading the file from the beginning. Lion-O nodded and showed her the file disk in the disk drive, which held several other documents relating to the ancient war. It also included a timeline of day-by-day events and one of the key events that allowed the Lord of the Thundercats, named Killias, to win the war. That was in 1093, nearly four hundred years earlier.

"That's the file I borrowed from the library. Meliana was kind enough to let me check it out," Lion-O replied. Meliana was the chief librarian and had quite a collection of holo recorders and books on many varieties of Thunderian life and history. There was also a full encyclopedia set devoted to the royal family and the Lords themselves. Lion-O's grandfather had a book there as did his father. As for Lion-O, he was working on writing his memories down and was using Cheetara, Tygra and Lynx-O to help him get everything down. So while Cheetara looked for information on the report Lion-O had just gotten, Lion-O was busy writing down some things in his journal that he kept in his office.

Meanwhile, at the transport tower, Lioness-A and Tygra were busy checking wires while Wilykat and Wilykit were keeping a watch out for transporter ships and space liners. When Lioness-A asked Wilykit about it all Wilykit said was that ships still arrived daily.

"We were scattered pretty far and wide Lioness-A. Lion-O has been here every day greeting the ships as they come in," Wilykit said. "I'm surprised you didn't see him when you arrived," she added. Lioness-A smiled.

"I missed seeing him that day. Tillen was there along with Lynx-O and neither of them recognized me," Lioness-A replied as she watched Tygra fiddle with some wires on a nearby control panel. She and Tygra were having fun learning about one another and also about love. It was times like these that Lioness-A realized that her life was now complete. Tygra caught her looking at him and winked at her.

"Did I miss anything?" Wilykit asked, noticing the look.

"Not really Wilykit," Tygra replied with a soft smile, coming to stand by Lioness-A. "It's just that this beautiful lioness has agreed to date me," Tygra added as Kit blinked and Lioness-A blushed.

"Impressive. I think Lion-O approves, cause I saw him smiling at the two of you the other day," Wilykit said with a bemused _expression on her face.

"I noticed that too," Lioness-A said dryly. "I wonder why?" she added with a perfectly straight face.

"Come on, Lioness-A. I need your assistance over here," Tygra said as Lioness-A followed him over to the control panel. "You can talk about this later back at the lair."

Later that afternoon, Lioness-A poked her head inside her brother's office to see what he was doing and was surprised to find him still at the telecom, typing up a report or something similar to it.

"What are you working on?" she asked, coming over for a closer look.

"A couple of journal entries for the book Meliana's putting together. You do know that Grandfather and Dad both have books of their reigns in our lair library, don't you?" Lion-O asked, turning in his chair to regard his sister who had sat down on the stool nearby.

"I knew about Grandfather's, but I didn't know that Dad had one as well. Are you putting yours together now?" Lioness-A asked as he nodded.

"Got to. Otherwise, I'll forget it all in the future, when I actually have time to write all this down. I'm doing day by day accounts. It helps and I've been doing it since I landed on Third Earth and began ruling. That's how Dad and Grandfather did theirs. Tygra told me that," Lion-O said. His twin looked thoughtful at this.

"Interesting point there Lion-O. At least it'll give your son something to read if he gets caught in a jam and needs advice and you're already deceased. Which may be unlikely cause I think we'll live to see grandkids or something along that line," Lioness-A observed as Lion-O nodded a thoughtful look on his face.

"I agree with you Lioness-A. I've been reading most of them that Lord Killias wrote, trying to figure out what is going on with these strange reports I've been getting lately," Lion-O added. Lioness-A blinked. Lion-O pointed to the desk and said, "There's one on the desk if you want to read it and see for yourself. Cheetara couldn't figure it out and I take that as a very bad sign. We'll have to see what Lynx-O comes up with." Lioness-A picked up the sheet of paper and began reading it even as the door buzzer went off. "Come in," Lion-O called, turning back to his telecom. The door slid open to admit Lynx-O, who was carrying a disk in one hand.

"Lion-O take a look at this and see what you think of it. I think Meliana found something from the Lion Clan home in Delosa," Lynx-O said, handing the disk over to Lion-O. Lion-O saved his journal entry and promptly ejected the disk and slipped the one Lynx-O had handed him inside. It was then that Lynx-O sensed someone else was in the room. "Ah, Lioness-A, how are you today?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but these reports are confusing me like they are Lion-O. Whoever's doing this doesn't want us to find out about it," Lioness-A noted dryly as Lynx-O nodded.

"Maybe this disk will have something on it," Lion-O observed as he opened up the list of files. "Whoa, this is pretty informative. Whoever compiled all this knew what they were doing," Lion-O noted absently, using his mouse to scoot up and down on the screen to view several of the files. One title caught his attention so he opened it and discovered some interesting information about a clan of Thunderians that become extinct several hundred years ago. "That's unusual," Lion-O murmured, which caught Lioness-A's attention.

"What?" she asked. She walked over to read the file from behind his left shoulder. A moment later, her eyes grew wide as the news sunk in. "Unbelievable. Wasn't Grune the last of the Saber-tooth clan?" Lioness-A asked as Lion-O nodded. "At least that's what we first thought," she added.

"He was supposed to have been the last one, but according to this, some of the clan have survived somehow," Lion-O replied, still reading the file. "Apparently this particular clan has been causing trouble ever since it was founded when ThunDera was originally founded. It's been struggling to survive ever since the Clan Wars of 1098 as near as I can tell from this historical record."

"But I thought they were confined to their valley after Grune was exiled because of their part in the war that he started," Lioness-A said. "Did any of them survive the explosion and returned home to New ThunDera and we just don't know it? That could be the reason for the reports we've been getting the last few days," Lioness-A went on as Lion-O nodded.

"That could be very possible Lioness-A, but it's something we don't have anything concrete on to really know for sure. We just don't have a relay tower in that area of New ThunDera yet," Lynx-O replied from his perch on the sofa.

"Why are they causing problems?" Lioness-A asked.

"No one really knows for sure," Lynx-O replied. "We have been getting reports of people that have settled into the sabers' old valley home near the western Thunderan mountain range," Lynx-O added, as Lion-O grew thoughtful.

"Do we have anyone willing to go and check the area where the sabers lived and see if anyone is living there now? It's a chance that they have returned to their home territory and we're not aware of it," Lion-O said. "And it's something I would like to know about."

"I'll see what Tillen and I can come up with Lion-O," Lynx-O said rising to his feet.

"Good. Let me know who's going and also if you find out anything else," Lion-O added as Lynx-O nodded. The lynx left the room a moment later leaving Lioness-A and Lion-O to glance over the reports again.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX:

Late one afternoon about a week later, Panthro and Bengali headed out in the Thundertank to Saber Valley to see what was going on regarding the rumors that Lion-O had been getting. On the way there, the two talked about what had been going on.

"Do you actually think that there's any truth to these rumors that Lion-O's been getting from the outposts?" Bengali asked in his growly voice.

"I don't know, but it's worth the look around. If there's anything there, we'll see it," Panthro replied. "Keep an eye on those scanners. They'll tell us if there's anything out there."

"Right," Bengali answered and paused as the scanner blipped. "Panthro, there's something to the west of our position. It looks pretty big from here."

"Let's go see what's there," Panthro responded and revved up the tank.

**************

Back at the Lair, Lioness-A drifted into the control room to see Cheetara and Lynx-O on watch.

"Anything useful?" she asked. Cheetara turned to smile at the young lioness.

"Not yet I'm afraid," Cheetara said, "but Panthro and Bengali may have found something. They've gone to take a closer look. Where's Lion-O?" she asked. Lioness-A very quickly touched base with her brother via their twin bond. He was in the city, meeting with some of the city leaders.

"He's in Calora meeting with a few of the elders on some business. I think he'll be back by this afternoon, but I can reach him before then if something happens that we need him for," Lioness-A answered.

"That works for all of us," Lynx-O said from his post.

"Why is that?" Lioness-A asked. She was beginning to like the lynx because of his closeness to Lion-O and the fact that he knew their father.

"If we need to get a hold of Lion-O and need to do it fast, you're the best way to do it. That twin bond is a strong one and you should be able to communicate with him over several miles. Right?" the lynx asked her. Lioness-A pursed her lips in thought.

"It can go over several miles, maybe twenty or so at the most, but if it's too far, it gets really fuzzy. The only thing that goes through is pictures. But, I do know one thing, and that is if one of us is unconscious, the other twin can communicate to the doctor what's wrong. It's hard to explain the full capacities," Lioness-A said.

"How did your uncle survive after your mother died then?" Cheetara asked, somewhat surprised.

"He managed to sever the twin bond between them before she died. Otherwise, if she had died and he was still bonded to her, it would have been harder for him to control it. It's sort of like when you're mated and your mate dies. It tears you up emotionally when that part of the bond dies. If you manage to sever it before then, it helps alleviates it some. I know that's what happened to my father after Mom died," Lioness-A added. "Want some help?" Lynx-O nodded and she joined them at one of the consoles to monitor the countryside.

**************

Meanwhile, back at the entrance to Saber Valley, Panthro and Bengali had parked the tank near a large tree and had hopped out to take a look around. Bengali had picked up something on the scanners and it was just ahead. Rather than scare whoever might be there, Panthro and Bengali decided to foot it instead. One would return to the tank to communicate what they found within the hour.

"I hope we find something here," Bengali growled, "it would ease the feeling Lion-O's been having about this place for a while." Panthro quickly shushed him.

"There's something just ahead. Keep quiet and let's see what it is. If one of us has to run back to the tank, we will, but for right now, let's see what's out there," Panthro said quietly as Bengali nodded.

A few moments later, the two finally reached the edge of the valley entrance and peered carefully around the ledge to view the valley. Down in the valley, near a small stream was a small settlement with a few houses scattered around. A large clearing was in the middle of the clump of houses and it was here that Panthro and Bengali saw several children playing happily. Panthro pulled out a pair of binoculars to view the scene up close and gasped when he realized what clan the children were from. Handing the binoculars to Bengali, he let Bengali look as well. They crept quietly back the way they had come until they reached the tank. A few minutes later, they were on their way back to Cat's Lair at top speed. What they had seen in the valley had only confirmed what Lion-O had thought. The Saber clan had returned and with it, a new threat to New ThunDera. On the way, Bengali called the lair and told Lynx-O to ready the others for a council meeting because he and Panthro had some important news.

************

Later that morning in the council room, Bengali and Panthro very quickly made their report and sat down as Lion-O began pacing, a sign that he was thinking deeply. He stopped as he thought of something.

"We'd better be prepared to see what is actually going on the Saber Valley," Lion-O said thoughtfully. "It could mean trouble if we don't."

"How are we going to do that?" Lioness-A asked, voicing the question no one else wanted to ask. The fact that she asked it, told Cheetara that Lioness-A knew what was on her brother's mind, but she had to get him to say what he was actually thinking.

_'Clever girl,'_ Cheetara thought and turned her attention back to the meeting.

"We've got the outpost relay near there. We can use it to track the sabers progress and see who their new clan leader is. Whoever this person is, will have to come forward to meet me sometime soon," Lion-O answered.

"The relay station will give us an advanced warning if sometiing should happen there that we need to know about. But for right now, let's let the sabers get settled in and then we'll see what happens next," Tillen remarked from his post by the window.

The meeting was adjourned then and Lioness-A found herself back in the control room with Cheetara and Lynx-O while her brother attended a meeting with some of the clan elders that were arriving.

************

Over in Saber Valley, a meeting was being held of the clan elders to decide whether or not they should let the Thundercats know they were back on New ThunDera. One was voicing his opinion about the matter and it was obvious he wasn't happy about the situation.

"Why are you so against this Sindaris?" asked the elder, named Silaro, annoyed at the interuption. Sindaris scowled at Silaro before replying. Silaro was the head of the entire Saber Clan and he brooked no nonsense from anyone, especially the young hothead who had taken over the tribe that Grune had led years ago. Sindaris was a relative of the mighty ex-Thundercat and he had never forgiven the Thundercats for their treatment of Grune during the war that he had started.

"It was my clan that faced the ultimate humiliation when Grune was banished from Old THunDera. What makes you think these Thundercats are any different?" Sindaris snarled angrily.

"That's why we need to go to Calora and see the current Lord of the Thundercats, a Lion-O by name and speak with him," Silaro said sternly. "If you don't like the idea, leave." Sindaris snarled and left the tent as the elder shook his head.

"That one will cause trouble for all of us," said a female saber standing next to Silaro. "Better warn Lord Lion-O when we go to see him in a week," she added as he nodded.

"Let's prepare for the journey," he said and dismissed the meeting so he could prepare for the meeting with Lord Lion-O.

Sindaris, however, had rounded up his clan and had left for a remote part of the valley. What he was up to, no one knew or would know until it was too late.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN:

Late one afternoon about a week later, Lioness-A got a message through the comlink about a party of Sabers that were wanting to come and meet with Lord Lion-O.

"I'll speak with Lord Lion-O and get back to you on when a good time would be for him to meet with you," Lioness-A told the saber on the other end of the comlink. The saber nodded and cut the connection as Cheetara came into the control room.

"What was that?" she asked. Lioness-A sighed.

"It's the sabers. They're ready to make contact with Lion-O and discuss a few things. I told the saber there that I would get back to them on a date and time when Lion-O can see them," Lioness-A answered. "I told Lion-O about it and he said to wait a few minutes and let him get with Tillen about a good meeting time and place."

"Interesting. Yet I have a vague feeling that something's not quite right with this," Cheetara replied softly as Lioness-A scowled.

"Somehow I knew that we weren't going to get away with this. From what I can remember from the histories when Grune went evil, his tribe joined him and most of them were labeled as outcasts not long after. Some of those may have returned also and may have trouble settling in," Lioness-A said as Lion-O came into the control room.

"Are they ready to meet with us?" he asked as Lioness-A nodded with a sigh. "What is it now?" he asked. "Something's bothering you."

"The way this whole thing is going together," Lioness-A replied, "it's only been a week after all, but I wonder if something's going on. I also found out that we're missing one of the clans for this meeting."

"Hmmm, which one?" Lion-O asked.

"The clan that Grune was from," Cheetara told him as Lion-O frowned. "We thought they were banished when he was, but new reports have shown some of that clan returning recently. I can say that they are not happy about the whole thing," Cheetara added.

"We're going to have to go ahead with the meeting and get it over with. Maybe we can find out what's going on from one of these saber clans that will be at the meeting," Lion-O observed as Cheetara nodded.

"Do we have a meeting time and place in mind yet?" Lioness-A asked. "I need to send that information to them soon."

"Let me talk to Tillen and Lynx-O right quick and I'll let you know," Lion-O said and thought a moment. "Page them and have them come to my office," he added as Lioness-A nodded. She turned to hit the pager button as Lion-O withdrew from the control room.

"You and Lion-O have a great sense of knowing what's going on," Cheetara commented as Lioness-A smiled.

"It comes in handy for some things," Lioness-A replied and paused as she heard Lion-O's voice giving her some information. _*Okay what day again and do you have a location set?*_ Lioness-A asked her brother. She turned around and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen as Cheetara blinked.

"What was that about?" Cheetara asked. Lioness-A grinned and held up a piece of paper with a date, time and location written on it. "I take it that's the date and location of the meeting," Cheetara said as Lioness-A smiled and started up the comlink to call the sabers with the information.

"The possibilities for my twin bond with Lion-O are endless," Lioness-A said once she cut the connection. "Wilykat and Wilykit should be able to do it pretty soon themselves if they haven't tried it before now."

"Are all twins bonded that way?" Cheetara asked as Lioness-A nodded. "I think Wilykit figured it out before her brother did, but they're doing the same thing you two are doing," Cheetara added as Lioness-A chuckled. "Why do the females pick up on it first?"

"I think it's tied into puberty," Lioness-A replied as Pumyra came into the control room.

"What's tied in with puberty?" she asked. Lioness-A smiled at the puma and filled her in and was rewarded with a soft chuckle. "I figured that puberty might be behind why your bond's so strong now," Pumyra added as Lioness-A got up and stretched.

"Time for me to go work out for a bit," she said as Cheetara and Pumyra smiled. Lioness-A left the control room and went by the kitchen to see if she could rustle up some food from Snarf. On the way there, she ran into Tygra.

"Where are you heading?" he asked as she smiled.

"Just got off duty and thought I would see if Snarf had anything for me to eat. I'm starved," Lioness-A said as Tygra smiled. He followed her to the kitchen and Snarf gladly set out a meal for the lioness and tiger. After the meal the two returned to the control room to see if anything new had happened.

***********

About a week later, Lion-O was in his office preparing a speech for the upcoming event with the sabers when the door buzzer went off. Lion-O looked up, slightly irritated and called for whoever it was to come in. He was surprised to see Lynx-O and Tillen. He waved them inside and they took seats on the sofa.

"What brings you two by?" Lion-O asked as he leaned back in his desk chair.

"We were checking to see if the speech was ready and also to see what you were planning on doing with the sabers that are coming to this meeting," Tillen replied. Lion-O paused a moment. He hadn't really had a chance to think about that.

"I'm not really sure what I'm planning on doing with the sabers." he admitted. "I was hoping one of you two had an idea." The two thought a moment and then Lynx-O finally raised his head.

"I think I may have a solution Lion-O," he said and went on. "This will be for the sabers that want to end the hostility between us. They can come here and join our society on a trial basis to make sure that they are fitting in and not causing any problems. Those that want to end the hostilities should accept the offer without any problems."

Lion-O thought a moment and then finally nodded. The solution was the best one and by far, the safest. But there was one problem.

"What about the sabers that are against this?" Tillen asked, voicing the question on Lion-O's mind.

"We'll have to be extra diligent and watch for any signs of trouble," Lynx-O replied and turned toward Lion-O. "I suggest using the Thunderguard to monitor the countryside near them and be alert for any suspicious activity," he added as Tillen nodded.

"I can organize that while you two handle the meeting with the sabers. I was planning on having some of the Thunderguard present for that meeting anyway, just to be safe," Tillen said as Lion-O nodded.

"Go and get everything ready then while I work on this speech and the terms of the agreement for the trial basis," Lion-O said as the two rose to leave the office. After they left, Lion-O went back to writing the speech and then wrote out the terms of the agreement.

About two hours later Lioness-A stopped by to see how it was going and found Lion-O still working on the agreement with Tillen. They looked up as she came in.

"Snarf sent me to tell you two that dinner's ready," Lioness-A as her brother sighed.

"Better eat now and work on this tonight then," Tillen observed. "I need food in me to concentrate," he added as Lioness-A chuckled.

"You'll have plenty of time after dinner," Lioness-A said as the two followed her to the dining room. Delicious smells wafted from the doorway as they walked in. Lion-O looked around and saw Cheetara holding a place for him. The three filled their plates and made their way over to the table amidst several other Thundercats.

"Thanks for holding me a spot," Lion-O murmured as Cheetara smiled. Tygra, seated across from her pulled out a chair for Lioness-A even as Tillen sat on the other side of Lion-O.

"Snarf outdid himself this time," observed Panthro who was seated a few seats down. The Thunderkittens were across from him.

**********

As the rest of the week went by, Lion-O calmly prepared himself for the meeting with the sabers and decided that the best way to deal with them was to offer them the agreement of the trial basis and see if they took it.

As for Sindaris and his rebel group, they were planning the day that they would assault the capital and take the throne away from Lord Lion-O. It was payment for the way this group of sabers had been treated ever since Grune was exiled.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT:

The day of the meeting dawned clear but with a hint of rain. Lion-O was in his bedchamber getting ready for the meeting. He had to put on the royal ensemble since he was addressing the sabers and their leader.

'I hope that renegade saber doesn't try anything during this momentous occasion,' Lion-O thought to himself as he slipped the white tunic over his head and let it fall into place. He had already worn it once when he had anointed the new Thundercats and it was fitting that he wore it again. The cloak itself was a shade of deep purple. Purple had long been a royal color and Lioness-A was already wearing the color along with the other royal family color, silver, in her uniform. It seemed fitting that she would wear the royal colors together. The door buzzer went off and Lion-O permitted whoever it was to enter. It was Tillen carrying the Sword and the claw shield.

"Are you ready?" Tillen asked as Lion-O scowled at his reflection. He was trying to get the cloak in place in order to get the brooch on.

"Here let me help you with that," Tillen murmured as he laid the sword on the bed. He hooked the cloak to Lion-O's left shoulder and fastened it in place. "You're ready now," the jaguar said and handed the claw shield to Lion-O who placed it on his left thigh.

"Are the Thunderguard in place at the site?" Lion-O asked as they left his bedchamber for the council room. Tillen nodded.

"The leader will call once they're ready," Tillen replied as the two entered the council room. Lioness-A blinked when she saw her brother in the royal ensemble.

"Nice," she said. "So who's going and who stays?"

"Lynx-O is going with me while Tillen keeps an eye on things here. Panthro and Bengali are taking us there in the Thundertank. Cheetara and Lioness-A are also going along," Lion-O replied. "Tygra is already there getting the tent for the meeting set up." Snarfer appeared in the council room then.

"Snarfer, Tygra said everything's ready and some of the saber clans are beginning to arrive," he said as Lion-O turned to the others.

"If we're going to do it, let's do it!" Panthro said as the named Thundercats left the room.

*********

Twenty minutes later, the group arrived at the site to find a bright red tent set up in the spot where the negotiations were to take place. Nearby were several clan elders and still farther away were the sabers that had first arrived. Tygra walked up to the tank as Panthro parked it in an out-of-the way spot. Everyone jumped out and gathered around him.

"Are we ready here?" Lynx-O asked.

"We're ready here and I will show you around and where everyone is going to go," Tygra said as he led the group under the tent.

"Why are the elders here?" Lioness-A asked.

"They are going to be part of this new agreement I had drawn up," Lion-O replied. "Most of them have agreed it's for the best and I had Tillen send a copy to the saber elder so he could look it over before our meeting. Is he here yet?" This last question was addressed to Tygra who nodded.

"Major Lupi is with him and will bring him here when you're ready to begin the meeting," Tygra answered. "His name is Silaro." Lynx-O's ears twitched.

"You know the name?" Cheetara asked the lynx.

"He's one of the wisest of the saber clan and has been head of their clan for years," Lynx-O replied and went on, "he was against Grune turning against the Thundercats and using the clan to destroy ThunDera and wage war against the Thundercats. I believe he will be most agreeable to our trial basis."

A communicator went off somewhere nearby and Tygra answered it. After speaking to someone for a few minutes, he cut the connection and turned to Lion-O. "Major Lupi said Silaro is ready to begin the negotiations if you are."

"Have her bring him and his aide here," Lion-O told Tygra who nodded. "Lynx-O, go tell the elders to come on in," he added as the lynx nodded. "We're ready to begin."

"And us?" Lioness-A asked, indicating herself and Cheetara. Lion-O escorted the two to seats on the outer edge of the tent and had them sit there.

"Watch and see what happens. I would like to hear your feedback on this later," Lion-O said as they nodded.

*********

Two hours later, a break was called so everyone could get something to eat and drink. Lioness-A drifted over to where Lion-O and Lynx-O were quietly discussing something. They paused as she came near.

"Well?" the lioness asked.

"So far so good. Silaro told us of the renegade saber group and who's leading them," Lynx-O answered.

"Who is it?" Cheetara asked, walking up and slipping her hand into Lion-O's. He smiled.

"A saber named Sindaris," Lynx-O answered as the two females blinked.

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Cheetara asked. "I'm getting a strange feeling with that name and it's not good."

"I thought you might feel that way," Lynx-O said and went on, "Sindaris is related to Grune and from what Silaro has told us, he is resenting what the Thundercats did to Grune and has vowed to get revenge."

"Always one in every bunch," Lioness-A muttered as Lion-O smiled. "But why now?"

"No one knows," Tygra said coming up then. "Are we ready to finish the negotiations?" Lion-O nodded.

"Bring everyone back in," he said as Lioness-A and Cheetara withdrew to their seats.

*********

The meeting was concluded two hours later with Silaro promising to pass on the terms of the negotiations to the other saber leaders still in Saber Valley.

"They should agree to the terms Lord Lion-O and I will personally see to anyone that doesn't," Silaro said as the two shook hands.

"Thank you Silaro," Lion-O said with a smile. "Will you let us know if Sindaris tries anything?" The elder saber nodded.

"Thanks to your Thunderguard, I will be able to get word to you quickly Lord Lion-O," he said as Lion-O nodded. The group adjourned soon after with Tygra riding back with the other Thundercats.

"We will have a full council meeting this afternoon to go over everything and make sure this agreement gets logged into the lair library," Lion-O said as everyone nodded.

*********

Later that same evening found Lion-O in his office working on some paperwork when Lynx-O stopped by.

"Something on your mind old friend?" Lion-O asked as the lynx sat down on the sofa.

"Yes. With the possibility of battle looming with this renegade saber and his group are you aware of the fact that Lioness-A can also use the Sword of Omens?" Lynx-O asked. Lion-O blinked.

"I wasn't aware of that," Lion-O said. "How is this possible? Where did you come across it?"

"I came across the information in the lion clan books located in the library. Think on it Lion-O. She's your sister and as a result, she's the heir to the throne if something should happen to you and you have no heirs," Lynx-O said as Lion-O thought for a moment. A purple light in the corner caught his eye. He was surprised to see his father.

"Father?" he asked in surprise. Claud-Us rarely appeared, but something negated this visit.

"Lynx-O's right Lion-O. Since you don't have an heir yet, Lioness-A would be the next in line to the throne and the Sword knows who she is," Claud-Us said. Lynx-O's ears twitched and Claud-Us smiled at the lynx. "Good to know you're here old friend," the older lion said as the lynx nodded. Lion-O smiled. Those two had been friends even though Lynx-O had been a commoner for years.

"Can Lioness-A use the Sword then if it came down to it?" Lion-O asked. Claud-Us nodded.

"Yes, but only if something were to disable you from using it, such as an injury that would render you unconscious. Make sure she knows of the possibility and see about training her on it. You may need her there if worse should come to worse," Claud-Us said and vanished.

_*What did you think of that? And how do you feel about it?*_ Lion-O asked his sister via their bond.

_*Strange. It never occurred to me that I would be able to use the Sword like you. Things like this are worth knowing. I look forward to those training sessions Father mentioned,*_ Lioness-A answered back. Lion-O turned to Lynx-O and filled him in on what Lioness-A had said.

"I think I will work with her on that tomorrow," Lion-O said as Lynx-O nodded. He left the room a moment later as Lion-O sighed and turned back to his paperwork. Cheetara was the next one to see him that night, but it was because she wanted to spend time with Lion-O.

"Everything okay Lion-O?" Cheetara asked. He sighed and filled her in on what Lynx-O had told him a moment earlier. She was surprised.

"How is Lioness-A taking this?" Cheetara asked then. "It must be a surprise to her as well to know that."

"She feels pretty good about it. I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances," Lion-O answered as she nodded. He pulled her close for a hug. The two withdrew to head to their bedchambers for some needed rest. Lion-O hoped that things would work out so that Lioness-A wouldn't have to use the sword, but all things considering, he was glad to give her a crash course in using it.

***************

Meanwhile, in an isolated part of Saber Valley, Sindaris was watching his troops prepare for the battle against Lion-O and the Thundercats. One of his aides appeared and handed him a communique from their spy in Saber Valley.

"So, Silaro agreed to the terms that the Thundercats have set. I should have known that it would come to that. How soon before our forces are ready?" Sindaris asked.

"They should be ready by the end of the week," the aide answered and then smiled as something occurred to him. "Are you aware that Lord Lion-O has a twin sister?"

"No, I'm not. What are you thinking Lorkas?" Sindaris asked. His aide smiled evilly.

"Well, should you win this confrontation, you would need a bride so your hold on the throne will be secure. And since this lioness is the twin to the Lord of ThunDera, you may be able to persuade her to mate with you," Lorkas said as Sindaris' eyes narrowed. "She would also be the link you need to control the Sword of Omens."

"Interesting. Go away now and make sure everyone's ready for the battle next week," Sindaris said. Lorkas was about to leave when another saber ran up bearing a large battle club in his arms.

"Sindaris, we found Grune's legendary club!" the saber exclaimed as Sindaris jumped to his feet. The club had been presumed lost when Grune was banished from Old ThunDera, but now that it had been found, Sindaris could wield it in his battle against the Thundercats.

"This is a great day in our history men," Sindaris said as his aides smiled. "Go and make sure the training goes well. We will start our maurading parties this week with the best of the trainees." The two aides snapped to attention and left the tent for the training grounds. Sindaris continued to reflect on the upcoming battle and what he would do if he won.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

Late one afternoon a few days later, Lion-O took Lioness-A out to the field behind Cat's Lair to train her in use of the Sword of Omens. Lioness-A wasn't sure this was a good idea, but went along with it partly because it was a chance to see if she could actually wield the mighty weapon.

"Are you ready to try to take the Sword?" Lion-O asked as he held the Sword out to Lioness-A hilt-first. She took it and was surprised when the sword extended to full length and the Eye growled.

"Whoa, was that supposed to happen?" Lioness-A asked as she raised the sword above her head. Lion-O nodded. It was clear that the Sword of Omens knew who his sister was and was acknowledging her as the hereditary heir to the throne.

"How do you feel?" Lion-O asked as Lioness-A turned the sword one way and then the other to study it.

"It's incredible. It's like the Sword knows who I am. I've never even knew I could do this," Lioness-A answered as the sword shrank back down to its neutral size. She raised the hilt and called, "Sword of Omens, give me Sight beyond Sight." The hilt curled and she was able to view the countryside and Thunderians running from something. "Lion-O! Someone's attacking one of the villages! I can't tell who it is!" she yelled as she gave the sword back to her brother. He called for Sight beyond Sight and the sight he got made him cringe as he saw sabers attacking the Thunderians.

"It's the saber marauders," he said tensely as Lioness-A gasped. "We need to get back to Cat's Lair and see what they know about this. The Thunderguard is holding off the marauders but it won't be long before the marauders mount an attack against the capital and Cat's Lair," Lion-O said and the two sprinted off for the lair.

***********

Back at the lair an hour or so later, Lion-O had called a full council meeting to discuss the marauders. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased with the way things were going. At the moment, Major Lupi was briefing the Thundercats on what had happened in the village. One Thunderian had been injured during the flight from the marauders. Lion-O was pacing the floor in one corner of the council room.

"The injuries were minor and the civilians were able to identify the marauders as being sabers," Major Lupi said as the Thundercats frowned. She went on, "When we checked with Silaro, he said it was part of the renegade saber's band. There have been quite a few attacks in the past already, but this is the first major one." Lion-O stopped pacing at this one.

"When were the last attacks?" he asked.

"A few weeks ago, my lord," replied the major. "The Thunderguard handled it well and did so here, but with that injury being reported to the Thunderguard, I thought it would be wise to let you know about it as soon as possible," she added as Lion-O nodded.

"We're going to have to be prepared for when they assault the capital because that could be soon, based on this information here," Tillen said as the others nodded.

"I think it's going to be time to step up the defenses and have two on duty at the control room," Tygra added.

"Let's get that started right now and after that, we will step up the training so that everyone is prepared for whatever may happen next," Lion-O said and paused to study the faces in front of him. "If it comes down to a confrontation, I want us to be prepared for the inevitable."

**************

The next few days were more of the same with reports of the mauraders attacks getting ever closer to Calora. Finally one day about two weeks later, the attack on the capital came. Besides the Thunderguard being called out, several of the Thundercats were out there fighting alongside the Thunderguard trying to push the marauders back. That was until Sindaris appeared in the midst of the fray brandishing the legendary battle club of Grune's.

"Where in all of Thundera did he find the club?" Pumyra exclaimed and then she hit the alarm causing the alarm to blare throughout the lair. When the others arrived, she magnified the image of Sindaris wielding the battle club. They were as surprised as she was.

"Where did he find it?" Bengali asked, echoing Pumyra's statement from earlier.

"I don't know, but it's looking bad out there," Tillen said as he studied a nearby monitor. "The Thunderguard are going to need help starting now."

"Then we better go and give them a hand," Panthro said and looked to Wilykit and Wilykat. "Stay here and help Snarfer and Snarf monitor the situation."

"Got it Panthro," Wilykit said as everyone ran out of the control room.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is not going to be good, snarf, snarf," Snarf moaned as he watched the screen. Outside, Cheetara was thinking the same thing, but pushed it aside to concentrate on the upcoming battle.

*************

Outside, Lorkas was fighting alongside Sindaris when he spotted Lion-O coming their way, brandishing the Sword of Omens. Behind him were the other Thundercats including a female lioness who looked like Lion-O, which meant that she was the sister.

"Lord Lion-O is here Sindaris!" Lorkas called over his shoulder. Sindaris snarled and threaded his way through the battle to stand in front of Lion-O. This was the first time the two had seen each other close up. Needless to say, neither was impressed with the other. Sindaris wore battle armor similar to what Grune had worn during his battles with the Thundercats.

"So I finally get to meet the Lord of the Thundercats," he said with a sneer. "Can't say I'm impressed."

"I could say the same about you Sindaris," Lion-O retorted. He slipped the claw shield on his left arm as Sindaris inched closer. Nearby the other Thundercats were watching, apprehension apparent on their faces.

"Does he always do that with his enemies?" Lioness-A muttered. This was her first battle and she was a little nervous.

"All the time," Panthro replied. Seeing her nervousness, he smiled. "You'll do fine, Lioness-A. Just remember your training." The lioness nodded and swallowed hard.

At that moment, Lion-O and Sindaris rushed each other and the fighting began. Lioness-A found herself facing off a saber and jumped out of the way of a laser beam. Taking her boomerang off her belt, she threw it and was rewarded when the pistol exploded as her boomerang hit it head on. The boomerang returned to her hand and Lioness-A was about to leap off to battle someone else when a pain lashed through her head, bringing her to her knees. She turned just in time to see Sindaris bring Lion-O down, blood running from a wound in his side. The sword shrank back to its neutral size and clattered on the ground beside Lion-O as he hit the ground, his hand clutching his side. Sindaris was about to launch another attack, but was pushed back by Tillen and Bengali, giving Cheetara and Pumyra time to get to the fallen lion.

_*Lion-O!*_ Lioness-A cried mentally, her heart pounding. She dashed off to his side even as Cheetara and Pumyra got there. "How bad is it?" Lioness-A asked. There was blood everywhere and it was hard to tell where it was coming from.

"He got hit in the side by that club when Sindaris ducked to avoid his thrust. Lion-O never saw it coming," Pumyra explained as she placed a rag against the wound and held it tight. "He's losing too much blood." Soros arrived then, followed by Rialla, both carrying medical bags. Sindaris was nearby, an evil grin on his face, even as he began pushing Tillen and Bengali back.

"We're going to have to move him out of here!" Soros shouted over the noise. "He won't last long out here."

"Surrender Thundercats!! There's no one here who can wield the Sword of Omens while your fearless leader is down!" Sindaris shouted over the din. That stopped Tillen and Bengali from their advancement. The shout brought silence to the farther reaches of the battlefield who didn't know Lion-O had gone down. Shock ran through the ranks of Thundercats and Thunderguard alike as the word spread. Cheetara knew that Lioness-A could wield the sword, but the young lioness was in shock and it was going to take some prodding.

"You've got to use the sword Lioness-A," Cheetara said softly, shaking the young lioness. "You're the only one who can now. We need you now more than ever."

_*I know you can do it sis. Remember what I told you,* _Lion-O added softly in her mind._*I'll be with you the entire way._* Lioness-A, with tears in her eyes, stood up and faced Sindaris. She knew what she had to do. Placing her boomerang on her left hip, she prepared herself to battle the renegade saber leader.

"You're mistaken, Sindaris. There is one other that can wield the Sword of Omens," she said coldly and raised her hand. "Sword of Omens, come to my hand! I, Lioness-A command you!" she called and the sword lifted itself from the ground next to Lion-O and flew toward her outstretched hand as the Thundercats blinked in shock. The Eye roared when it made contact with her hand. It knew who she was and was ready to fight off the attack. Most of the Thundercats didn't know Lioness-A could use the sword. Only Cheetara and Lynx-O knew. Sindaris was shocked. Then his face grew darker as he looked at Lioness-A, the sword clenched tightly in her hands.

"Who are you?" he asked. 'This will be a short battle,' he thought as he sized her up. She was smaller than Lion-O, but well-built and about the size of the female cheetah standing next to her.

"The name's Lioness-A, twin to Lord Lion-O and daughter of Lord Claud-Us," came the answer as Sindaris growled. He wasn't expecting this. Lioness-A took the sword in her right hand and closed her eyes. It was time to call the Thundercats and end this battle. Too much blood had been shed already. She raised the sword to her eyes and took a deep breath. "Thunder...thunder...thunder....Thundercats HO!!" Lioness-A yelled as the call bounced off the mountainside, strengthening the Thundercats with its power. Back inside the Lair's control room, Wilykit and Kat were cheering as were the two snarfs.

"I didn't know Lioness-A could do that!" exclaimed Wilykat.

"It's in her bloodline. She's next in line to the throne behind Lion-O," Snarf explained as the group turned to watch the battle. Lioness-A was battling it out with Sindaris while a stretcher bearing Lion-O was making its way back to the lair. Four Thunderguards were carrying it and Soros was running alongside with Rialla and Pumyra behind him. "Oh, Lion-O, please be okay," Snarf mewed softly.

Back on the battlefield, the Sword and Lioness-A were knocking Sindaris back further. No one knew how she was doing it, but Cheetara suspected Lion-O was lending his twin a hand through their bond.

"HOOOOOO!" Lioness-A called as a blast knocked the club out of Sindaris' hand and sent it high in the sky. Lioness-A pointed the sword up and yelled, "HOOO!" Another blast destroyed the club. Turning to Sindaris, who was now cowering in fear of the lioness, she said coldly, "I think it's time you and your renegades surrender for your own good."

"I surrender!" Sindaris called out as the remaining Thundercats cheered. All across the battlefield sabers were throwing their weapons down to the ground and surrendering to the Thunderguard that were surrounding them. Sindaris was quickly surrounded by Tygra, Panthro and Bengali. Bengali clapped a set of hand irons on him as Lioness-A lowered the sword. It reverted back to its shortened form and she placed it in the claw shield that Cheetara had handed her.

"Get that saber out of my sight!" Lioness-A said to Panthro and Bengali who nodded and took the saber to a holding cell set up on the outskirts of town. Tygra came to the lioness and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You did well Lioness-A. We're proud of you," he said as she nodded. She broke down then in his arms.

"Take me to see my brother," she said, lifting her head. There were tears in her eyes. Tygra nodded and took her back to the lair while Tillen took care of the prisoners and what needed to be done about cleaning the battlefield. Once inside the lair, Tygra and Cheetara took Lioness-A to the infirmary where Rialla was waiting for them.

"He's still in surgery. The damage was worse than we thought and part of his spleen had to be removed," Rialla said quietly as Lioness-A sighed.

"How long until he's out?" Cheetara asked the lioness.

"Another thirty minutes or so. After that, it'll be touch and go until he wakens," Rialla replied. "You're welcome to wait here. I'll tell Pumyra you're here and she can brief you after the surgery's over." Lioness-A nodded and sank into a chair and Cheetara sat next to her.

About an hour later, Pumyra found the three waiting in the waiting room and her heart ached when she saw Lioness-A's tears. Cheetara had an arm around the lioness and Tygra was standing nearby. The two females looked up as the puma entered the room.

"Is he all right?" Lioness-A asked. Pumyra nodded.

"Still asleep from the anesthesia for now, but I think Soros and I stopped the bleeding. He's lost a lot of blood and we're having to give him some. He'll be weak when he wakes up," the puma said as Lioness-A cringed. "The next twenty-four hours are critical though. They'll let us know how much of a fighter he is," Pumyra said softly. "A good sign would be him waking up." Taking the lioness's hand she led her to the back and a dark room, where Lion-O lay on a bed, his middle bound in bandages and IVs in one arm. There was also a tube in his mouth helping with his breathing. Lioness-A walked to the bed and sat in the chair beside it and gently took Lion-O's limp hand.

"I stopped Sindaris and got him to surrender. Tillen is dealing with him and the other prisoners, but we haven't decided what to do yet. I really wish you were here so we would know what to do with the sabers. A lot of them aren't bad, they just fell in with the wrong crowd," Lioness-A said and studied her brother's sleeping face. "Please wake up Lion-O. We need you. The Thunderians need you. I need you," she whispered and laid her head on his stomach. *I love you Lion-O and thank you for helping me defeat Sindaris. Without you, I don't know if I could've done it myself.*

She lay there quietly and sighed again. A movement beneath her hand caught her attention. Sitting up, Lioness-A was rewarded to see Lion-O open his eyes. He groaned slightly and tried to say something but Lioness_-A _laid a hand on his lips_._

_*Sshh, don't try to talk just yet,*_ she said gently through the bond. Turning to the door, she called for Pumyra, who came running. "He's awake!" Lioness-A said softly as the puma came in to check Lion-O's vitals. Cheetara appeared behind her. Lion-O smiled at the cheetah, who smiled back. Pumyra removed the breathing tube and Lion-O coughed in relief.

"Easy there. How do you feel?" the puma asked him.

"In pain but alive," Lion-O replied weakly. Soros appeared then.

"Glad to see you're awake my lord. Your sister here did well in that battle," he commented as Lion-O smiled. Soros then ran everyone out of the room so he could check on Lion-O.

**********

The next few days Lion-O grew stronger and was soon ready to help Tillen with the sabers. But what they would decide would soon benefit everyone.


	10. Chapter 10

Epilogue:

A few weeks later found Lion-O meeting with Silaro to discuss the renegade sabers and what could be done about them. Silaro had a few ideas which greatly interested Lion-O and he hoped he could put at least one of them into fruition as soon as possible. After the meeting with Silaro, Lion-O summoned Tillen and Lynx-O to his office. He was still recovering from the surgery nearly two weeks before and both Tillen and Lynx-O had been busy in his stead making sure that everything was followed through.

"You summoned us Lion-O?" Lynx-O asked as the two entered his office. They found the lion staring out the window at the gardens below. He turned as they entered.

"I did Lynx-O and it concerns what we are planning on doing for the renegade sabers," Lion-O said as the two quickly found seats.

"What did you have in mind?" Tillen asked. "You've been meeting with Silaro all day long about something and this must have been what you were discussing."

"That's exactly what this meeting is about right now. Silaro has agreed to let all of the renegade sabers return home to be absorbed into other clans while Sindaris and his aide are transported to the prison planet to serve time there. Most of the former renegades realized that Sindaris has led them astray and they are keen on returning to clan life, even if it is with another clan. How does that sit with the two of you?" Lion-O asked.

"It's perfect and one that I didn't even think of," Lynx-O said as the lion smiled faintly.

"I agree with Lynx-O on this one Lion-O," Tillen began. "It's perfect and it insures that nothing will happen in the future."

"Lynx-O go and let Major Lupi know the arrangements and have her escort those sabers to their valley to meet with Silaro," Lion-O began and turned to Tillen as the lynx left the chamber. "This means I can concentrate on other things right now," Lion-O said and sighed.

"Such as?" Tillen asked. He knew there was something on Lion-O's mind and had a feeling it was related to the meeting with the clan elders the week before the attack.

"Finding a mate," Lion-O replied. "The elders want me to mate with a lioness to carry on the tradition of a full-blooded lion taking the throne, but I don't want to do that. I'd rather mate with Cheetara whom I love than an unknown lioness," Lion-O added as Tillen nodded.

"Maybe we can work on that problem then and see what we can do. Hopefully if we can fix it now, then there won't be any problems for Lioness-A to mate with Tygra later on," Tillen said as Lion-O nodded. "Tygra has expressed an interest in taking their relationship further."

"I know. Lioness-A told me that back while I was recovering. Father also saw me last week and we had a chat," Lion-O said then as Tillen stopped. "I told him about the problems I was having and he said he might have an idea of what to do about it."

"Interesting how your father can help us even while in the astral world," Tillen noted as Lion-O smiled faintly.

The answer arrived a week later in the form of a letter that Claud-Us had written years ago. It had disappeared in the destruction but he had somehow kept a copy with him when he had gone to the astral world. That copy was now sitting on Lion-O's desk.

"Hey Lion-O! Did you see this?" Lioness-A asked as she held up the paper. "It's from Father," she added as he took the paper and read through it.

"It's a letter to the elders from Father telling about a rule he had changed to make it easier for us to mate with who we want to mate with," Lion-O replied as he read it over. "This must have been what he was referring to when I last saw him."

"In that case, you better share it with Tygra, Tillen and Lynx-O so they can get the word to the clan elders now," Lioness-A told him as he nodded. The letter was shared with the clan elders a week or so later and the lion elder, named Linkor backed off and allowed Lion-O to continue his relationship with Cheetara and the cheetah elders applauded the choice as well. Only time would tell how all of this would work out.

Chapter End Notes:

To be continued in "The Trials of a Queen"


End file.
